WPA3 is the third and most recent iteration of WPA security, introduced to the marketplace in July 2020. Older standards like WEP and the first generation of WPA have been phased out for the more secure WPA2, which is itself now slowly being replaced by WPA3. The most basic element of wireless security is an encryption protocol such as WPA2, or WiFi Protected Access. What's important is that you know what to look for when we get ready to diagnose your WiFi connection. If you're confused by some of this computer mumbo jumbo, don't be.

The older versions, like 802.11b, remain as-is. Note that in an effort to simplify all the gobbledygook jammed into WiFi names, the Wi-Fi Alliance updated its taxonomy in 2018. The latest and greatest in WiFi is 802.11ax, which can work at speeds of up to 3.5 gigabits per second.

802.11ac is another standard, which allows for wireless speeds of over one gigabit per second. There are a number of WiFi varieties out in the wild, including 802.11n, which is capable of up to 600 megabit per second data transfers. By default, this will probably be the name of your router - Netgear, Arris or ASUS or something similar - but you can have fun by changing it to something more personal or creative, like My WiFi Only, or anything you like. A service set identifier ( SSID) is the name that identifies a wireless network. There are also a couple of important terms related to WiFi that you should know. For a more in-depth understanding of IP addresses, read What Is an IP address?

The MAC and IP addresses of your equipment will be useful in a moment when we look at ways to detect whether or not someone is stealing your WiFi. Your router uses these addresses to assign each machine on your network an internet protocol (IP) address. In essence, your DHCP table is your guest list of every allowed piece of computing equipment.Įach device has its own media access control (MAC) address. Your router will have what's called a dynamic host client protocol (DHCP) table. This LAN is where you set up computer peripherals such as your desktop or laptop computer and printer. This is what's called a local area network (LAN).

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