Today we present you all about ¿What is wps and what are its uses and functions within the different routers? Usually, we see a small button that says WPS, this being a fast connection method for any device, and many times this router has several lights that bear that name. So we will explain everything that surrounds this button.
Uses of WPS.
What is WPS?
WPS stands for Wifi Protected Setup. This is a system whose main function is to provide a more controlled way to connect to a Wi-Fi network by simply entering an 8-digit PIN instead of any full wireless password.
One of the main reasons why this type of method exists is the fact that you are at home and want to connect any device to a Wi-fi network from the router, but you do not remember the password. In case you find yourself in a hurry, to avoid wasting time trying to find or remember the password, with this you will only have to press the button that comes in most routers to establish the connection on both devices.
At the moment you press the WPS button, the system can take on different functions, although among the most common we have 4 options, the most extensive is the one that handles PIN exchange. The device has to transmit a numerical code to the router and with this code the data is sent to access the Network. The ways in which the WPS system operates are:
- Through the use of a PIN that must be assigned to each device that we want to connect to the network, generally all routers have a default PIN number that can be changed if desired.
- The use of NFC for which it will only be necessary to place the device near a router to exchange information.
- By using PBC on devices with a built-in button so that pressing it at the same time creates a credential exchange.
- With the use of USB, so physically the credentials of the USB device can be saved, which will later be transferred to another device that wants to connect to the network.
How does WPS work?
This type of system works in a fairly simple way, the first thing to do is try to connect to the network with a device, be it a computer, phone or tablet or whatever you can access the router with.
After this, you just have to press the WPS button found on the router. By doing this, what you do is "open" the Wi-Fi network that generates said router within a short period of time. Several types of Router will have a WPS indicator that will begin to flash to indicate when it is activated.
This will be activated for a couple of seconds with the network open waiting for a device to connect and the WPS will automatically disconnect. In the middle of this time with the WPS activated, your device will be able to access the WiFi network with the WPS method that is configured. So normally it is a PIN that appears directly in the router itself, but some other methods that we already mentioned can be used.
Insecurities of this system
The possibility of connecting to a WiFi network from our home without the need to remember a password, especially if it is taken into account that the most appropriate thing would be to have a secure password that does not come by default, can be quite tempting for many. However, abusing WPS can be a danger to your network.
Especially when you are using a router that comes with a PIN to establish the connection. Since, by pressing this button you are enabling the Wifi, which would be disabling all the security measures that are configured for the connection, as well as having a password that is difficult to remember.
If this article was helpful to you, do not forget to visit our website to review more articles like this that may be of help to you as Hardware components and its great features. We also invite you to watch the following video to learn a little more about this topic.