- A
Keep WPA-TKIP but enable MAC address filtering to block unauthorized devices.
Why wrong: Incorrect. MAC filtering provides minimal security and does not address the fundamental vulnerability of TKIP.
- B
Upgrade the router to support WPA2 and configure it to use WPA2-PSK with AES encryption.
Correct. WPA2 with AES is secure and supported by almost all devices made after 2006, including most older smartphones.
- C
Change the SSID to something non-descript and disable SSID broadcast.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Hiding the SSID is a weak security measure and does not protect against TKIP attacks.
- D
Switch to WPA3 and set up a separate guest network for older devices.
Why wrong: Incorrect. WPA3 is not supported by older devices; they would not be able to connect at all.
How to Replace WPA-TKIP with WPA2-AES for Better Security
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of wireless security protocols. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
During a security audit, a technician discovers that a small office's wireless router is still using WPA-TKIP. The office has 20 devices, including some older smartphones that cannot support WPA2. What should the technician recommend to improve security without replacing all devices?
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to upgrade the router to support WPA2 and configure it to use WPA2-PSK with AES encryption, as this directly addresses the need to replace WPA-TKIP with WPA2-AES for better security. WPA-TKIP is an outdated protocol with known vulnerabilities, while WPA2-AES provides robust, industry-standard encryption that is backward-compatible with the vast majority of devices. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of wireless security standards and the practical trade-off between security and legacy device support; a common trap is assuming you must keep TKIP for older devices, when in fact most devices claiming “no WPA2 support” actually work with WPA2-PSK. A key memory tip is to think “AES is the best, TKIP is a pest”—always push for AES encryption, and only isolate or replace truly incompatible devices rather than weakening the whole network.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Upgrade the router to support WPA2 and configure it to use WPA2-PSK with AES encryption.
WPA-TKIP is deprecated and vulnerable to attacks such as Michael and Beck-Tews, which can decrypt traffic in under 15 minutes. Upgrading to WPA2-PSK with AES (CCMP) provides strong encryption and is backward-compatible with most devices that support WPA2, but the scenario states older smartphones cannot support WPA2. However, the correct answer (B) is still the best recommendation because the technician should first verify if those devices truly cannot support WPA2—many older devices that claim 'no WPA2' actually support it via a firmware update or by selecting 'WPA2-PSK' in their wireless settings. If they truly cannot, the only secure path is to replace those devices or isolate them on a separate network; keeping WPA-TKIP is not acceptable for security.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Keep WPA-TKIP but enable MAC address filtering to block unauthorized devices.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. MAC filtering provides minimal security and does not address the fundamental vulnerability of TKIP.
- ✓
Upgrade the router to support WPA2 and configure it to use WPA2-PSK with AES encryption.
Why this is correct
Correct. WPA2 with AES is secure and supported by almost all devices made after 2006, including most older smartphones.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Change the SSID to something non-descript and disable SSID broadcast.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Hiding the SSID is a weak security measure and does not protect against TKIP attacks.
- ✗
Switch to WPA3 and set up a separate guest network for older devices.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. WPA3 is not supported by older devices; they would not be able to connect at all.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common misconception is that MAC filtering or SSID hiding are valid security measures, when in fact they are trivial to bypass and do not address the core encryption weakness—candidates must recognize that only upgrading the encryption protocol itself (to WPA2-AES or WPA3) provides real security.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) uses a 128-bit per-packet key mixing scheme but relies on the RC4 stream cipher, which is vulnerable to statistical attacks like the Beck-Tews attack that can recover the MIC key and inject forged packets. WPA2 with AES-CCMP (Counter Mode CBC-MAC Protocol) uses a block cipher in CCM mode, providing authenticated encryption that is resistant to all known practical attacks. In real-world audits, many 'WPA2-incapable' devices actually support WPA2 after a driver update or by manually configuring the security type, so the technician should test this before assuming replacement is necessary.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer segments a warehouse floor into three subnets: 20 scanners, 5 printers, and 2 management hosts. Picking the wrong mask wastes addresses or leaves too few usable hosts. Exam questions test whether you can apply CIDR notation, calculate block size, and identify the correct usable-host range for a given prefix.
Quick reference
Symmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Size | Block Size | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AES-128 | 128-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | NIST approved; WPA3, TLS |
| AES-256 | 256-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | Preferred for sensitive / govt data |
| 3DES | 112-bit effective | 64-bit | Deprecated (2023) | Replaced by AES |
| DES | 56-bit | 64-bit | Broken | Cracked in < 24 h; never deploy |
| ChaCha20 | 256-bit | Stream cipher | Current | TLS 1.3, WireGuard |
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1202 question test?
Wireless Security Protocols — This question tests Wireless Security Protocols — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Upgrade the router to support WPA2 and configure it to use WPA2-PSK with AES encryption. — WPA-TKIP is deprecated and vulnerable to attacks such as Michael and Beck-Tews, which can decrypt traffic in under 15 minutes. Upgrading to WPA2-PSK with AES (CCMP) provides strong encryption and is backward-compatible with most devices that support WPA2, but the scenario states older smartphones cannot support WPA2. However, the correct answer (B) is still the best recommendation because the technician should first verify if those devices truly cannot support WPA2—many older devices that claim 'no WPA2' actually support it via a firmware update or by selecting 'WPA2-PSK' in their wireless settings. If they truly cannot, the only secure path is to replace those devices or isolate them on a separate network; keeping WPA-TKIP is not acceptable for security.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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