Question:

What encryption types does my Samsung Blu-ray player support, and how can I improve my network's security?

Answer:

Our Samsung Blu-ray players’ support limited WEP encryption and as of this writing we no longer support encryption keys over 25 characters. To use an encryption over 25 characters you must use WPA encryption on your network. For steps on how to change your routers encryption type to WPA see the accompanying literature included with your router, visit the manufacturer website or contact them directly.

Although our support of WEP encryption is limited we understand older devices around the home may only support this basic encryption, therefore we have not removed it in its entirety. If your devices support WPA or higher we encourage you to change your encryption type to WPA or higher to increase network security.

Network Security Overview

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is the first generation of security used on wireless networks and is very easy to crack, where it used to take at least 8 hours to crack, now it can take about 3 minutes. This exposes your network and shared files on the network to unauthorized users, as well as slowing down your network and limiting available bandwidth to streaming devices such as your Blu-ray player or Home Theater System.

WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) is a step above WEP and not as basic. A passphrase of 8 to 63 characters is used to authenticate devices on the network. When using WPA, there are 2 different methods of encryption, TKIP and AES. Of the two methods, AES is more secure than TKIP; however AES takes more computing power and therefore may not be available on some older devices or smaller electronics, in which case TKIP would have to be used.

WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) WPA2 is a more advanced form of wireless security. Like WPA it uses a passphrase of 8 to 63 characters as well as the TKIP or AES encryption methods.

WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) WPS is a simplified way of using wireless security. WPS can be used in addition to the wireless security types above. Devices that are not WPS compatible will use the other type of wireless security set. There are several different ways to connect a device using WPS. The 2 main methods are PIN and PBC. Our Samsung Blu-ray players and Home Theater Systems support WPS since 2009.

• PIN – A PIN number is displayed by the Blu-ray player or Home Theater System when a WPS Network (see SSID) is chosen from the Network list, and then the PIN is entered into the wireless router or access point.

 

• PBC – A button is pushed on the Blu-ray Player and then the PBC button is pressed on the router or access point. Some routers or access points have a physical PBC button, others require you to go into the router or access point setup, see the accompanying literature included with your router or access point (switch/bridge).