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Home / Glossary / WEP
Glossary · Networking

WEP

Wired Equivalent Privacy

In plain language

An old Wi-Fi security setting that is broken and can be cracked in minutes.

The metaphor

Like a padlock whose combination was published years ago: it looks locked but anyone who looks it up can open it.

Going deeper

How it works

  • It was the first Wi-Fi security standard, introduced in the late 1990s.
  • Weaknesses in how it scrambles data let attackers recover the password quickly.
  • It was replaced by WPA, WPA2 and WPA3.
  • If a device only supports WEP, replace the device.
In practice
  • An audit finds an old warehouse scanner still joined to Wi-Fi using WEP.
  • A shop owner reads the router settings and sees WEP listed as an option.
  • A landlord's old building router is still on factory settings from years ago.

A question owners ask

Is WEP better than no password?

Barely. It keeps casual visitors out, and a determined person gets in within minutes.

Related terms
APAccess PointBPDUBridge Protocol Data UnitDHCPDynamic Host Configuration ProtocolDNATDestination Network Address TranslationDNSDomain Name SystemDomain nameDomain registrarDSLDigital Subscriber Line

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