What is WPA?

This stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access, and it's a more rigorous wireless network security system than WEP.

In fact, it was created to address problems found in WEP. WPA uses a security method called Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) to keep your network safe.

If your router offers both types of security, WPA is the better way to go.

Troy Dreier is a freelance tech writer based in the New York City area.