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Forum Discussion
WPA and WEP
My older printer is asking for the WPA for my orbi rbr50 router yet I can't find it or get further in my setup. Suggestions? Thanks.
4 Replies
WPA is not someting to ask for, much more it's the older variant of WPA2-PSK (AES), using the older TKIP encryption variant, known as WPA-PSK (TKIP), sometimes referred as WPA2-PSK (TKIP) as a backward compatibility variant for WPA2. Network name and security key is the same as for using WPA2-PSK.
In case your Orbi does not accept the TKIP encryption connection, cnaghe it to the compatibility mode for and - see the fine manual Orbi WiFi System User Manual on p.79/80.
Peeg67 wrote:My older printer is asking for the WPA for my orbi rbr50 router yet I can't find it or get further in my setup. Suggestions? Thanks.
Congratulations on having a printer that still works after so many years. There is an excellent description of WiFi security modes here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Protected_Access If you have entered the WiFi password and the printer does not connect, then the Orbi security mode needs to be changed.
schumakuhas directed you to the correct setting on page 79 of the Orbi User Manual (WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES]).
While WiFi security is probably not as "big a deal" for home systems (as it would be for corporations with secrets to protect and people actively wanting to get at them), you might consider that this compatibility mode renders your Orbi WiFi network less secure by allowing access using an algorithm formally made obsolete in 2006. Perhaps the vendor has released new printer firmware that updates the printer WiFi security options?
This is an area of frustration for some Orbi owners. The WiFi Alliance standardized WPA3 in 2018 and it is mandatory for products beginniing June 1, 2020. As a "pre-existing" product, the original Orbi is exempt from the new standard and does not support it. (i.e. the WPA3 option you see on page 79 does not appear on my Orbi). Nor do many (most? 99%?) of the existing WiFi devices already in use.
CrimpOn wrote:The WiFi Alliance standardized WPA3 in 2018 and it is mandatory for products beginniing June 1, 2020. As a "pre-existing" product, the original Orbi is exempt from the new standard and does not support it. (i.e. the WPA3 option you see on page 79 does not appear on my Orbi). Nor do many (most? 99%?) of the existing WiFi devices already in use.
Trouble with WPA3-SAE (that's the successor of WPA2-PSK) that most APs offering it today are doing WPA3 only, operating mixed mode (WPA2-AES, even WPA-TKIP, or the legacy WEP) is still cumbersome. It does not help much if the standards body state WPA3 is backwards compatible - that's true only in mixed mode config.
Most Orbi are using very similar radio chipsets btw. - so extending towards WPA3-SAE should not be very difficult. But where in reality is the site with WPA3-SAE clients?
