Broadcom · Intel · FCC · The Register
Wi-Fi 7's WPA3 protections come with a compatibility catch
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CableLabs wants hardware makers to embrace a workaround that keeps legacy kit connected.
Key facts
- The Wi-Fi Alliance devised WPA3-Personal Compatibility Mode (PCM), which moves the WPA3 and Wi-Fi 7-specific security information into Robust Security Network Override (RSNO) elements
- The Wi-Fi Alliance made WPA3 mandatory on the 6 GHz band used by Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7
- According to CableLabs, more than 23 billion Wi-Fi devices are in use worldwide, many of them based on Wi-Fi 5 or even Wi-Fi 4 hardware
- All this fuss concerns Wi-Fi 7, which now accounts for about 7.2 percent of the US market, according to some estimates
Summary
Broadband industry research body CableLabs is warning that attempts to make Wi-Fi 7 access points accommodate older devices can create compatibility problems of their own, and wants hardware makers to prioritize support for the industry's workaround. Wi-Fi 7 products have been finding their way into buyers' hands for a couple of years now, with the Wi-Fi Alliance kicking off its certification program for the latest iteration of the wireless network tech at the start of 2024. CableLabs is concerned about how Wi-Fi 7 hardware implements WPA3, the latest version of the Wi-Fi Protected Access security standard. The Wi-Fi Alliance made WPA3 mandatory on the 6 GHz band used by Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7.