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Is WPA3 a good reason to move to WiFi 6?

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Busto963

Occasional Visitor
6E is actually not a new standard. It's just new channels that are available to AX devices only.

This might put a crimp in consumer router sales, which is why manufacturers are going to push to make the transition to 6E as fast as possible

Subjectively, is WPA3 a good reason to go for a new AX access point, or is WPA2 EAS and a RADIUS server roughly equivalent?

I know I am mixing encryption, authentication, and authorization, but is there a real difference between WPA2 and WPA3, or is this all a wasted effort?
 
I know I am mixing encryption, authentication, and authorization, but is there a real difference between WPA2 and WPA3, or is this all a wasted effort?

Probably not a wasted effort if you have AX clients. If not likely yes.
 
Even some of the AC clients work fine with WPA3. My iPhones, MacBook 16 and my Dell laptops with QCA and Intel AC cards can connect even if I set my RAX120 to WPA3 exclusively. I’m sure some of the AC routers can be updated for WPA3 support if manufacturers really wanted to, but they won’t.
 
Even some of the AC clients work fine with WPA3. My iPhones, MacBook 16 and my Dell laptops with QCA and Intel AC cards can connect even if I set my RAX120 to WPA3 exclusively. I’m sure some of the AC routers can be updated for WPA3 support if manufacturers really wanted to, but they won’t.

Yes most AC clients will work with WPA3 because it's backward compatible but will serve no benefit to my knowledge. Generally if your using AC and AX clients you would want WPA2/WPA3 for your settings.
 
Yes most AC clients will work with WPA3 because it's backward compatible but will serve no benefit to my knowledge. Generally if your using AC and AX clients you would want WPA2/WPA3 for your settings.

I wasn’t talking about the WPA2+3 compatibility setting. I mean these support WPA3 without the AP needing to fallback to WPA2.
 
So your saying using WPA3 only your AC clients connect ? If so i have not tried that.
 
So your saying using WPA3 only your AC clients connect ? If so i have not tried that.

Yep, for the devices listed previously.

My Sony 900F TV, Roku Ultra, Sony HTST5000 Soundbar and iPad 2018 however did not work with WPA3 only mode, Apple TV does work though.
 
Is there any benefit to that ? Interesting. I though legacy AC clients could only use WPA2.
 
Apple added WPA3 support in iOS13, tvOS13 and MacOS Catalina and Windows with 1903 Update for supported cards like the Qualcomm QCA6174A aka Killer 1535/1435, Intel 9260AC and AX200.

Honestly though WPA3 seems to have its own critical vulnerabilities and I’ve read fixing some of those may require changes that maybe incompatible with current hardware. One of the vulnerabilities if I’m not mistaken takes advantage of the WPA2+3 compatibility mode.
 
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Yep, for the devices listed previously.

My Sony 900F TV, Roku Ultra, Sony HTST5000 Soundbar and iPad 2018 however did not work with WPA3 only mode, Apple TV does work though.

Thanks, this is valuable.

The solution could be to segment the LAN with the insecure IOT stuff on its own subnet or VLAN.
 
The weakness of WPA3 referred to was labeled Dragonblood. First round of the weaknesses disclosed around Apr 19 and then a second set (where it was claimed hardware would need to be updated to mitigate the vulnerability) was disclosed around Aug 19. I have seen no followup so my assumption is the standard is still vulnerable. And with focus now on Wifi 6e, I wonder if this vulnerability set hasn't just be swept under the rug. It certainly hasn't gotten the attention I thought it would. But at least that info will help your searching. Love to hear any news regarding industry followup if someone finds or has some.
 

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