Weak Security WiFi on iPhone

Again just for comment, I am using TalkTalk with WPA2/AES and have the same weak security issues but only since updating to 14.0 onwards. Apple assistance say it is a provider issue but did refer me to this forum. I honestly believe it is an Apple issue and not my network provider. The problem has even prevented me from connecting to some websites so I hope they admit it their problem and get it sorted soon.

TurningJohn wrote:

Again just for comment, I am using TalkTalk with WPA2/AES and have the same weak security issues but only since updating to 14.0 onwards. Apple assistance say it is a provider issue but did refer me to this forum. I honestly believe it is an Apple issue and not my network provider. The problem has even prevented me from connecting to some websites so I hope they admit it their problem and get it sorted soon.

It is purely a warning, it will not prevent you from connecting to any sites. If you are having a problem connecting to any site you need to troubleshoot that separately. It has nothing to do with the warning. And it isn’t an iOS problem, it is a problem with your router. If you have changed any router settings you need to forget the network and reconnect.

Until this is sorted out, people comment it isn't an ios problem or bug. But all indications point to that it is. And as far as the problem being the router, i'm amazed how that can even be considered when it's highly unlikely everyone has a same router or is it possibly a coincidence that the issue happened when everyone updated to ios 14. Well, if it is, all the providers better get on the ball and keep up to meet Apples upgrades. ( yes, that was oozing with sarcasm) :). I'm with you TurningJohn. Frustrating though, isn't it? That nobody from Apple will fess up.

Nobody from Apple will respond here and it isn't a bug. It is a new feature that just informs you that your security setting on your router is weak. If you purchased electronics used by people who support networks, or hired such a company to check your network, you would have gotten the same message. And I'm sure in the next update of Android they will add the same feature.

Check the settings on your router (both channels) and any extenders (both channels), set them to a secure security level, reboot them then forget the network on your iPhone and connect again. The message will go away and your network will be secure.

IT IS NOT AN IOS PROBLEM OR A BUG IN iOS. PERIOD. It is a misconfigured router. And most people have fixed it by changing the settings in their router to the correct settings. It has nothing to do with what your router model is, unless it is too old to support WPA2(AES) or WPA3. If you get the message “weak security" your router is not configured for maximum security. Your router has ALWAYS had weak security; you just didn’t know it until iOS 14 told you about it.

And it is only a warning. It will not affect your ability to use the router with your iPhone or iPad. It warns you that bad actors can hack into your router. If it’s OK with you that strangers can invade your Wi-Fi network then just ignore the warning.

I am simply baffled by most of the comments here that keep insisting it's an Apple bug.

Connecting using TKIP security (whether it's labelled "WPA/WPA2" or "WPA/WPA2 (TKIP)" or something else by the router's manufacturer) has ALWAYS been weaker security than using "WPA2 (AES)" or "WPA3".

All Apple did was add a warning message notifying all of us that we were accessing a WiFi network with weaker security. It's just a warning and does not block access. It prompted us to change our security settings on our routers, so Apple did us a favor and prompted us to change to better security.

Like many here I was convinced it was an IOS bug. It isn't.

As has been stated, set routers and extenders to WPA2 AES or WPA3. Initially I did that but still got the weak security message. What is essential is to do router and extender re-boots AND use "Forget Network" and then reconnect to your wifi signals.

It's a pity there isn't an IOS App that would show all the information about the wireless signal actually being received on the iPhone/iPad.

I ended up using my Windows 10 laptop to get the details of signal. My router and extender were set to WPA2 AES, but the signal was actually WPA2 TKIP. Using forget network, rebooting router and extender, and reconnecting "forced" the change from TKIP to AES.

Just click renew lease and the problem will be solved if your using a public wifi. The ideal fix however is to change the router settings but in case you dont have access like me then renew lease works fine.

This is yet another arrogant response.

The WiFi network I’m trying to use is not “mine” to fix. SO, I am forced to join a TOTALLY unsecure “Public Network” instead of having a chance at privacy with my friend’s network. Please inform me, but DO NOT PREVENT ME. This is big government at its finest.

No one is preventing you from using a network with weak security. You can use your friend’s network even if it has weak security. Your iPhone won’t prevent you from using it. But you might tell your friend that his router can be easily hacked by bad people.

nigelb26 wrote:

Just remember if your change to wpa2 your older products might not work work ? , this is only a issue with ISO 14

You would be talking about VERY old products. WPA2 was first introduced 16 years ago.

And it isn’t an issue with iOS 14. The network has always had weak security. You just didn’t know it.

The risk if your router doesn’t have strong security is that someone can use your network, and can potentially monitor traffic on it that isn’t encrypted end-to-end. Further, if your router has remote management enabled they can install malware on the router and use it hack other people’s networks, launch denial-of-service attacks against other sites and monitor any home management devices you may have (security cameras, Alexa, Google Home, etc). If you live in an urban environment this is a greater risk than a rural area, because any hacker must be close to you to hack the router.

What you can do to mitigate the risk is to reboot your router frequently, and, if you can view the connected devices, make sure you recognize all of them.

Why don’t you have an option to change the security, setting, however?

So, a problem with that security mode (WPA2 AES) is that it can be too restrictive on people's devices. I work in IT and I have seen many times where customers call in and report that their internet has been down for days or intermittent for weeks and once we update it to the "weak" security it resolves within minutes.

I prefer to have the settings set to WPA+WPA2 TKIP as it allows a more stable connection to the customers devices. I have found no issue having my network set to the dual protocol since I've changed. The only problem is that we don't have the ability to change to WPA2+WPA3. I don't think our system allows that at this time.

Just my input.

The only reason to have WPA or WEP on is a wireless device you own is so old, they can't connect to any protocol newer than that.

For users having problems with WPA off, the only real conclusion you can come to is their router is a piece of junk and should be replaced.

TVillasenor wrote:

So, a problem with that security mode (WPA2 AES) is that it can be too restrictive on people's devices.

Yes, and the problem with WPA/WPA2 is that it can be hacked easily, which is why there’s a security warning from iOS 14. WPA2 was released as a standard 16 years ago, so any product that still only works with WPA and not WPA2 is either over 16 years old or is so cheaply made it is probably vulnerable to being hacked and used in denial of service attacks, most of which come from hacked cheap personal devices such as security cameras and baby monitors. Anyone who has any device that only works with WPA should destroy it, as the device itself is a security risk both to the user and to the Internet community in general. Do you really want strangers around the world accessing your baby monitor?