WEP VS. WPA in Ubuntu
Some wireless networks are protected using either the Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP) or Wi-Fi. Protected Access (WPA) systems. WPA is effectively an updated version of WEP and offers stronger protection. There are actually two versions of WPA: WPA and WPA2. WPA2 is newer and corrected several security flaws in WPA. Both work in roughly the same way.
WEP and WPA encrypt the data being transmitted on the network, the idea being that it cannot be stolen by crackers with special equipment. Also, people can't join the wireless network unless they know the encryption key, which is basically an access code. This prevents unauthorized people from accessing the network.
Of the two, you should ideally configure your Wi-Fi base station to use WPA, because, sadly, WEP can be compromised within five minutes using easily available software. However, the situation isn't quite so clear-cut for some Ubuntu users. Not all of Ubuntu's built-in Wi-Fi drivers support WPA. Some might claim to support it, but you might find they don't work reliably. Unfortunately, the only way you will be able to find out if this is the case for you is to try to configure your network device and see what happens.
If you fall into the camp of not having good WPA support on your Ubuntu PC (and only a small percentage of users will), you might find WEP is your only reliable option, and you might therefore need to reconfigure your base station to use it. Our experience has shown that WEP has a very high success rate under Ubuntu. However, sometimes 128-bit WEP won't work on some troublesome Wi-Fi devices, and you might need to switch your network to 64-bit WEP instead.
WEP is a compromise in security terms, but try to remain realistic when considering your immediate environment. If your wireless network is within your home, is it likely that the couple living next door will have the know-how to crack a wireless network connection? Are they likely to want to do so?
On the other hand, if you live in an apartment block with several other computer-literate people, or if you work in an office, the risk might be considerably higher. Some people suggest that breaking into wireless networks is almost a sport for certain individuals. If this is the case, and you feel you simply can't use WEP, consider installing Windows drivers using NdisWrapper.
But whatever the case, bear in mind that confidential Internet connections, such as those for
banking and shopping sites, are independently protected using a separate technology.
Tags: wifi,wep,wpa,security,wireless
Related Articles