Important!!! Need help with wifi encryption!

[Cyclone740]

Hi all,
I am currently looking at getting an old Apple Airport Express extender, and I was wondering if I would be able to connect it to my router (an Optus provided NBN router, so in other words it is not an Apple branded router) via wifi (it is ok if I have to use an ethernet cable, but wifi would be prefered). Now the main thing I am wanting to know, is if I can have have WPA2 security on my router, and WEP on the Airport Express. I am asking this because I have some devices, such as some Nintendo DS LITE consoles which only support WEP security. Lastly, if I can use any type of wifi extender to do the same thing as what I am asking, that would also work for me as the Airport Express was the only thing that came to mind. Also if I can just use an old router for this same purpose that would be good to know as well, but only if the main router can remain with WPA2 security while the additional device, whether wifi extender or other old router, is setup with WEP security. Also would this even work for what I am asking? Which is using a device that does not support WPA security, but supports WEP security, online if a wifi extender, such as an Apple Airport Express, is setup with WEP security while my main router is setup with WPA2 security.

Any help would greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[YMK]

WEP networks are effectively unsecured.

If you must use them, limit physical access:

• Limit TX power.
• Use a shorter range antenna.
• Place the router on a basement floor if you can.
• Only power the router when you need it.
• Actively monitor and log the number of connected clients and connection attempts.
• Use MAC whitelisting.
• Do not broadcast SSID.

None of these measures will provide absolute security, but they'll make attacks more difficult.

 

[Cyclone740]

WEP networks are effectively unsecured.

If you must use them, limit physical access:

• Limit TX power.
• Use a shorter range antenna.
• Place the router on a basement floor if you can.
• Only power the router when you need it.
• Actively monitor and log the number of connected clients and connection attempts.
• Use MAC whitelisting.
• Do not broadcast SSID.

None of these measures will provide absolute security, but they'll make attacks more difficult.

Thanks for the heads up, but I am already aware of the security risks, and I wouldn't be having the WEP connection on all the time. But if you go back and read what it was that I asking I am wanting to know if using a wifi extender of some sort would allow me to set the wifi extender to use WEP, while still having WPA2 on my main router. The WEP connection is literally just for a couple of devices whenever I want to use them, and I was hoping that this setup that I just outlined again would work for me.

 

[YMK]

Understood. If your Airport doesn't support WPA2, it probably cannot operate as a WPA2 client, so you'd need a wired connection.

I have a WNR3500L extender that can connect to a WPA2 network and create a WPA2 or unsecured WiFi hotspot, but not WEP.

 

[Cyclone740]

Ok again thank you for the new lot of information. But it still doesn't answer the main thing I was asking.

I have some DS LITE consoles (and a few other devices) that don't support WPA security, but they do support WEP security.

I am wanting to know if I can use a wifi extender, that supports connecting to a WPA2 connection, which would be coming from my router, and then set up the extender with a WEP security configuration, allowing me to connect, for example, my DS LITE consoles to the internet.

Again, I want to reinforce the fact that I am asking if I can have my router setup with WPA2 security, and have a wifi extender connected to the router, either wired or wireless, and setup with WEP security. If I can would this allow me to connect my DS LITEs (which don't support WPA or higher) to the wifi extender (which would be setup with WEP security), and have it connect to the internet that way?

Not to be rude, but I am struggling to make it any simpler to understand.

I hope that you can answer this question for me. If you have any questions about what I am asking, like if you need any more confirmation about something, please just ask.

Thank you.

 

[YMK]

Any WEP capable router or access point can connect with a cable to your main WPA2 router to provide a WEP wireless network.

When you connect the WEP AP/router to your WPA2 router with a cable, the wireless security method of the main router is irrelevant.

You'd connect the WAN port of your WEP AP/router to one of the client/LAN ports of your WPA2 router.

It gets more complicated if you want to do this without a cable.

 

[Cyclone740]

Any WEP capable router or access point can connect with a cable to your main WPA2 router to provide a WEP wireless network.

When you connect the WEP AP/router to your WPA2 router with a cable, the wireless security method of the main router is irrelevant.

You'd connect the WAN port of your WEP AP/router to one of the client/LAN ports of your WPA2 router.

It gets more complicated if you want to do this without a cable.

Oh my goodness thank you this is exactly what I was wanting to know. Thank you, and if I were to use an apple airport express extender, would I be able to remotely turn it on and off, using the airport utility for either ios or Mac os x?

If not that is fine I will just need to fine a way to sort out the setup of the something like another router.

That is unless you know how I could set it all up using a wireless connection instead of wired. But if you can't no problem at all. Also even if it is complicated that is fine by me, I am always up for a challenge.

Again thank you so much for all the information that you have given me so far.