Caveats to changing wifi authentication method from WPA2 to WPA2/WPA3?

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Caveats to changing wifi authentication method from WPA2 to WPA2/WPA3?

paulchinnz

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#304626 22-May-2023 06:43

Hi my router currently is set to WPA2.
I've some older devices connected to it that are working with WPA2.
However going forward with new devices added to the network I'd like to take advantage of the router's WPA3 capability.

Should I expect any problems changing to WPA2/WPA3 now? Will that change lead to older devices dropping their connection?

toejam316

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#3078448 22-May-2023 07:11

In theory, no issues, just means devices that support WPA3 will authenticate with that, otherwise WPA2 devices will continue as is. I'd just keep it in mind if any older devices that don't support WPA3 start having issues on the network, that may be the issue.

Anything I say is the ramblings of an ill informed, opinionated so-and-so, and not representative of any of my past, present or future employers, and is also probably best disregarded.

paulchinnz

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#3078538 22-May-2023 12:29

Thanks.

That's what I thought.

I got a bit concerned given that WPA2 is a distinct option from WPA2/WPA3. Surely if WPA2 alone was simply encompassed within WPA2/WPA3 then there'd be no point in WPA2 alone as an option? Or is the use case that WPA2 alone is meant to force WPA2 for newer devices that can do both WPA2/WPA3?

geocom

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#3078700 22-May-2023 16:04

Have found WPA2/WPA3 too buggy in many instances. Will say I am using openwrt that has supported WPA3 for some time now.

Some devices work fine but there are many that won't the ones I have had so far that won't work include google tv, M1 MacBook Pro and some iPhones(worth noting that it is only some versions others have worked just fine) along with quite a few iot devices.

At the moment I am having to run a WPA2/WPA3 SSID and a WPA2 SSID it works but is dumb running WPA2 for the time being will suffice for most and I only really run the 2 so I can try and see when it becomes better supported so I can turnoff the WPA2 one.

Geoff E

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#3078705 22-May-2023 16:16

I have found that using WPA2 and WPA3 on the same SSID makes lots of old things freak out. Make a new SSID for WPA3 and the old stuff is fine on the old SSID with WPA2

Richard rich.ms

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#3078713 22-May-2023 16:29

WPA2+WPA3 working happily on my Fritzbox. Have multiple devices, Fritzbox Mesh repeaters, Iphones, macbooks, Windows PC's, Android Mibox, Amazon TVStick, WiFi Printer, iincluding an OpenWRT wifi to ethernet bridge. Though I am running both 5GHz and 2GHz on the same Wifi SSIDs. I flicked the switch a few months back from WPA2, eveything just worked.

paulchinnz

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#3079157 24-May-2023 10:42

Thanks everyone for the anecdotes, sounds like a mixed bag. I'll steer away from WPA2/WPA3 for now - it ain't broke so don't fix it!

richms

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#3079208 24-May-2023 11:03

2 of my older androids show the SSID as open and will not connect to it with WPA3 enabled, also some of my ESP based smart home stuff will not connect to it as mixed. I think the ESP stuff depends on which version of the SDK the firmware was compiled against since tasmota is fine with it, its mainly old random never updated stuff that has the problem (ewelink gear and some other no brand app chinese lights)

My antique fire tv box will take forever to connect to the mixed SSID and usually ends up on a far away AP that it can barely see.

I'm just making a new SSID and moving things to it as part of the key change hassle and if they don't work moving to a WPA2 one with a new key

Richard rich.ms

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michaelmurfy

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#3079237 24-May-2023 11:52

Not sure why so many people are having problems with WPA3. In my experience it has been stable operating a WPA2/WPA3 SSID. The only device that freaks out is actually my Tesla Wall Connector that only supports WPA2 and thus have the IoT network as WPA2 only for this reason.

In theory, you shouldn't have any problems with WPA2+WPA3 operation for an average home user but I have also found some routers WPA3 support are rather unstable, just ensure your router / access points firmware is up to date.

@geocom this sounds like a problem with your setup rather than client compatibility. My M1 MacBook Pro is quite happy on WPA3 along with the complete collection of our Apple products + Google TV etc. It just works without any issues.

Just enable this - no need to have a second SSID as some people are saying (in-fact, don't - this is messy) and instead see if anything breaks. You should notice that the majority of products connect as WPA3 with some older, or IoT products connecting as WPA2 without any issues. Also no need to have a separate 2.4/5GHz band either as devices shouldn't steer towards 5GHz if they can't see it, the only time you experience problems with this is if your router for some reason does aggressive band steering but this isn't too common in a default configuration.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
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geocom

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#3079331 24-May-2023 12:13

@geocom this sounds like a problem with your setup rather than client compatibility. My M1 MacBook Pro is quite happy on WPA3 along with the complete collection of our Apple products + Google TV etc. It just works without any issues.

It maybe the M1 macbook has had an update to fix its been out on jobs for awhile now so not been able to check for awhile. Most devices work my android phone and Linux laptop all worked day 1 without issues the iphone is a rather old iPhone that my father uses still supported though the other iPhone's in my household work without issues.

As you say the powerwall is also one that doesn't work(have one at home also) Its still too hit and miss given it should just fall back but it doesn't in some instances and trying to diagnose this one device that wont is quite a lot of work to isolate it to this one setting that should still just work fine as its a WPA2 device anyway.

Geoff E