Security Settings; IPad Warns Router Security is "WEAK"
Greetings ~
This is a request for clarification on a security question relevant to my TP Link Archer A9 1900.
Any guidance from staff experts would be most welcome.
Of a sudden a couple of days ago, after months of use of the new router, the 7th Gen iPads here
suddenly started reporting the router as having “Weak Security”. This was quite stunning, as we take
wireless security very seriously. I can't explain why this started and why it persists. The same
warning has not occurred on Android devices here, which show the TP Link touter as providing
wireless security at the “WPA/WPA2 PSK” level.
The iPad warnings go on: “WPA/WPA2 (TKIP) is not considered secure.
If this is your WI-FI network, configure the router to use WPA2 (AES) or WPA3 security type”.
I’m alarmed because I wouldn't want to have WiFi encryption here at home below the AES level
at all times.
The advanced Wireless settings page for the router shows the TP-Link "Recommended" Security
setting as WPA/WPA2-Personal. However, the next option in the dropdown is WPA3-Personal.
Questions:
1) am I getting AES encryption at all times with the factory-Recommended WPA2-Personal
level? Why is TKIP involved, as reported by the iPads?
2) Why would I not select the un-Recommended option of WPA3-Personal if it is a higher
security standard? If I do, will it create any disturbance in the router’s performance requiring
me to make other technical changes (I would so like to avoid that.} The router manual is silent on
these important matters.
3} The radio button for “Version” is checked at the “Auto” level. I cannot find anywhere what
Auto means as to security level. Can you tell me how this works? WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK
are unchecked.
4. Analogously, the radio button for Encryption is factory-set at “Auto”, leaving TKIP and AES
unchecked (TKIP is deprecated, I believe). Why would would one not wish to set this
permanently at the superb AES? If I do that, will it cause router setup turbulence for me?
Thank you so very much in advance for any guidance you can offer.
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Hello, thanks for asking, and I will try to answer your questions one by one:
1) am I getting AES encryption at all times with the factory-Recommended WPA2-Personal level? Why is TKIP involved, as reported by the iPads?
Answer: May I know the hardware and firmware version of your Archer A9? Please ensure its firmware is up-to-date. As far as I know, the default wireless security should be AES.
2) Why would I not select the un-Recommended option of WPA3-Personal if it is a higher security standard? If I do, will it create any disturbance in the router’s performance requiring me to make other technical changes (I would so like to avoid that.} The router manual is silent on these important matters.
Answer: As far as I know, there are clients that doesn't support WPA3 only, which means you may failed to connect to the wireless network if you set the security to WPA3 only on the router.
3} The radio button for “Version” is checked at the “Auto” level. I cannot find anywhere what Auto means as to security level. Can you tell me how this works? WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK are unchecked.
Answer: Auto means the clients will connect to the wireless network with the desired one, which means if it supports both of them, mostly they will negotiate to the WPA2-PAK automatically, while for some old smart devices that don't support WPA2-PSK, they will negotiate to WPA-PSK.
4. Analogously, the radio button for Encryption is factory-set at “Auto”, leaving TKIP and AES unchecked (TKIP is deprecated, I believe). Why would would one not wish to set this permanently at the superb AES? If I do that, will it cause router setup turbulence for me?
Answer: This answer is the same one your question 1.
May it answer your inquiry, but let me know if it is not, thanks.
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Hello, thanks for asking, and I will try to answer your questions one by one:
1) am I getting AES encryption at all times with the factory-Recommended WPA2-Personal level? Why is TKIP involved, as reported by the iPads?
Answer: May I know the hardware and firmware version of your Archer A9? Please ensure its firmware is up-to-date. As far as I know, the default wireless security should be AES.
2) Why would I not select the un-Recommended option of WPA3-Personal if it is a higher security standard? If I do, will it create any disturbance in the router’s performance requiring me to make other technical changes (I would so like to avoid that.} The router manual is silent on these important matters.
Answer: As far as I know, there are clients that doesn't support WPA3 only, which means you may failed to connect to the wireless network if you set the security to WPA3 only on the router.
3} The radio button for “Version” is checked at the “Auto” level. I cannot find anywhere what Auto means as to security level. Can you tell me how this works? WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK are unchecked.
Answer: Auto means the clients will connect to the wireless network with the desired one, which means if it supports both of them, mostly they will negotiate to the WPA2-PAK automatically, while for some old smart devices that don't support WPA2-PSK, they will negotiate to WPA-PSK.
4. Analogously, the radio button for Encryption is factory-set at “Auto”, leaving TKIP and AES unchecked (TKIP is deprecated, I believe). Why would would one not wish to set this permanently at the superb AES? If I do that, will it cause router setup turbulence for me?
Answer: This answer is the same one your question 1.
May it answer your inquiry, but let me know if it is not, thanks.
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I thank you sincerely for your speedy and informative reply. I've learned much ~
1) The tag at the bottom of the Archer A9 AC1900 here says as to Hardware Version: VER 6.6
2) The router's management software says upon check that the Firmware is up to date. The latest version on board is: 1.1.0 Build 20200416 rel. 72485
I note this morning that the option below the TP_Link Recommended WPA/WPA2 Personal security setting is WPA/WPA3. As all of our devices seem to accept WPA,would we have better security by switching from the factory-Recommended setting to WPA/WPA3? If so, and we selected that option, is the change transparent,requiring no other router software adjustments which could disrupt service here
TP-Link_Deco wrote
Hello, thanks for asking, and I will try to answer your questions one by one:
1) am I getting AES encryption at all times with the factory-Recommended WPA2-Personal level? Why is TKIP involved, as reported by the iPads?
Answer: May I know the hardware and firmware version of your Archer A9? Please ensure its firmware is up-to-date. As far as I know, the default wireless security should be AES.
2) Why would I not select the un-Recommended option of WPA3-Personal if it is a higher security standard? If I do, will it create any disturbance in the router’s performance requiring me to make other technical changes (I would so like to avoid that.} The router manual is silent on these important matters.
Answer: As far as I know, there are clients that doesn't support WPA3 only, which means you may failed to connect to the wireless network if you set the security to WPA3 only on the router.
3} The radio button for “Version” is checked at the “Auto” level. I cannot find anywhere what Auto means as to security level. Can you tell me how this works? WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK are unchecked.
Answer: Auto means the clients will connect to the wireless network with the desired one, which means if it supports both of them, mostly they will negotiate to the WPA2-PAK automatically, while for some old smart devices that don't support WPA2-PSK, they will negotiate to WPA-PSK.
4. Analogously, the radio button for Encryption is factory-set at “Auto”, leaving TKIP and AES unchecked (TKIP is deprecated, I believe). Why would would one not wish to set this permanently at the superb AES? If I do that, will it cause router setup turbulence for me?
Answer: This answer is the same one your question 1.
May it answer your inquiry, but let me know if it is not, thanks.
?
I thank you anew, very much!
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Hello, thanks for asking again.
We cannot recommend using WPA2/WPA3-Personal, as some devices may suggest use to connect with WPA3 but it actually doesn't connect, thus there might be incompatibility issue.
Good days~
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Thank you. I did not ask my question again. I was responding to TP-Link_Deco, who wrote to me, on Monday I think, with this request: "Answer: May I know the hardware and firmware version of your Archer A9?" I presume he wanted to have that information, which I provided yesterday, in order to fully address my interest in understanding the C7 AC1900 security settings and options.
Maybe you could advise him or her I complied with the hardware and firmware information requested.
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Does the statement............. " We cannot recommend using WPA2/WPA3-Personal, as some devices may suggest use to connect with WPA3 but it actually doesn't connect, thus there might be incompatibility issue. "
Does that mean .....older iPad are not WPA3 compatible?
When I selected WPA2/WPA3 my iPhone X would try to connect but security would as for username and password. I have the AC1900 ver 6.6 with not available firmware updates
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Does that mean .....older iPad are not WPA3 compatible?
Kevin: It could be.
When I selected WPA2/WPA3 my iPhone X would try to connect but security would as for username and password.
Kevin: Does this mean the iPhone X fails to connect to the network? How about other wireless devices which support WPA3 security, will they connect?
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