Have you ever noticed a small round button somewhere along the edge or back of your wireless router labeled WPS? As one of the more subtle features on the device that provides your household Wi-Fi connectivity, its purpose may seem ambiguous. Allow me to shed some light!
This guide will equip you with a deeper understanding around what WPS means on routers, how to use it properly, some history and security considerations. Read on to unlock the capabilities of that unassuming button likely already built into networking hardware you own.
An Overview of WPS
WPS stands for Wi-Fi Protected Setup – an industry standard protocol established back in 2007 focused on simplifying connections between routers and devices.
It functions by allowing the exchange of your wireless network credentials between the router and newly joining devices to occur securely over wireless – eliminating the frustrations of hunting down and typing long passwords!
This works through either the physical push of the WPS router button or entering a code. And the functionality remains widely supported across modern routers and client devices from smartphones to IoT gadgets.
Now that we know what it can offer at a high level, let‘s explore exactly how it works before putting the functionality to use!
So What Exactly Does the WPS Button Do?
The WPS button on routers serves as the activation trigger for what’s known as the Wi-Fi Protected Setup feature. This is a special mode that when enabled allows establishing connections between the router and devices wanting to join your home network.
Pressing the button initiates a registration handshake utilizing pre-shared encryption keys to securely exchange the network name (SSID) and Wi-Fi password between the devices behind the scenes. This allows the joining device internet connectivity without the owner needing to perform tedious manual entry of the long WPA2 passcode.
The information exchange kicked off by the WPS button press can occur in one of two modes:
| WPS Connection Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Push Button Configuration (PBC) | User physically pushes the WPS buttons on both the router and client device within a short 2 minute window to execute the credentials exchange using secured protocols behind the scenes. |
| Personal Identification Number (PIN) | User enters a unique 8-digit PIN code displayed on router admin screen into the client device to authenticate, allowing retrieval of the wireless network credentials. |
This table demonstrates how the WPS button triggers an automated handshake functionality built into the router to securely welcome and onboard new devices to the network.
Now let‘s look at the history behind how this useful innovation was standardized across the industry.
The Origins of Standardizing WPS for Consumer Routers
The Wi-Fi Protected Setup protocol grew out of a necessity in the 2000s as home wireless networks shifted from mostly unencrypted open networks to more security-focused encrypted networks. The problem? Extremely long and cumbersome Wi-Fi password policies that made it difficult for average households to manage ingress of growing numbers of wireless devices in the era before mobile apps and cloud management.
To ease the process while maintaining underlying wireless security integrity, the non-profit Wi-Fi Alliance industry group brought together wireless router and device makers behind a standard methodology in 2007 dubbed Wi-Fi Protected Setup. This created an interoperable way for consumers to seamlessly add new gadgets to household Wi-Fi networks through either a push button press or pin code.
Backers behind the WPS standard included industry heavyweights at the time such as Linksys, Netgear, D-Link, Belkin and Insight on the router side along with Microsoft for OS-level support in Windows.
The standard quickly saw high adoption with over 70% of new routers shipping with integrated support for the specification by 2010 according to Wi-Fi Alliance estimates. And the trademark blue and green WPS logo stickered on the box soon became ubiquitous.
However, continued growth hit some bumps starting around 2011 with several publications demonstrating weaknesses in how some router makes implemented portions of the specification that opened doors for potential brute force credential attacks. This dinged confidence around security guarantees of devices touting WPS support at the time.
Vendors including Linksys and Netgear worked quickly to patch vulnerabilities. And the Wi-Fi Alliance updated the standard going forward with more stringent requirements around PIN authentication and other authentication handshake processes. Adoption recovered through the 2010s regaining its status as a fixture across routers looking to simplify home network access.
With the backdrop around WPS origin and evolution covered, let‘s now get more practical and locate that seemingly invisible button on your own router!
Finding Your Router Brand‘s WPS Button
While similar in purpose across brands, router manufacturers have some freedom in design when it comes to the physical manifestation of the WPS pairing button.
Consult the quick reference below to identify what to look for across some of the most popular wireless router makers to locate your gateway to simplified device connections!
| Router Brand | WPS Button Appearance |
|---|---|
 |
Labeled "WPS" – typically circular button on rear, side or top |
 |
Elongated button marked "Connect" or WPS logo anywhere on casing |
 |
Distinct LED-ringed spherical button on upper half |
 |
Subtle indented "WPS" labeled circle flush with casing |
With an idea now where where router manufacturers typically place the WPS functionality trigger, let‘s get practical with how you can take advantage of it in real-world use cases!
Step-by-Step Usage Examples
Getting set up only requires two simple steps once you know what you are looking for on both the router and joining device. Allow me walk through pairing examples with both a wireless printer using the tactile push button approach along with a Windows PC leveraging PIN code entry.
Connecting a WPS Printer
Let‘s begin with the simple button press method adding your brand new wireless printer fresh out of the box:
- Unbox printer and locate small circular button icon labeled "WPS" built into the control panel above the screen
- Press your router‘s WPS button for 3-5 seconds until light blinks indicating readiness for device connection
- Within 2 minute window, push and hold the printer‘s WPS button for 5 seconds
- Wait up to 2 minutes for handshake process to automatically exchange credentials securely connecting printer to your Wi-Fi
- Confirm success when printer shows connected status on router dashboard – you can now print wirelessly!
Connecting Windows PC With PIN Code
For devices with interfaces like Windows PCs, entering the router-provided PIN code offers added flexibility:
- Login to router dashboard to generate unique 8-digit PIN under Admin Settings > Wireless > WPS
- In Windows Wi-Fi Settings, select your wireless network name and choose "Connect using a setup PIN"
- Input router‘s code from earlier and let WPS handle credential exchange behind the scenes
- Your PC will now connect to the network without dealing with typing that long password manually!
As you can see above, the process is made almost trivial to onboard devices of all types thanks to WPS removing headaches of hunting for sticky notes with your Wi-Fi passcode scribbled somewhere.
Now that you know how to take advantage of your router‘s WPS magic button to quickly add devices, we should briefly discuss potential security considerations with this convenience-focused protocol.
Is WPS Still Secure in 2023?
WPS undeniably provides simplified secure connectivity between Wi-Fi router and devices – removing roadblocks is its purpose afterall! However, back in 2011, publications began demonstrating ways the protocol could be exploited by potential attackers targeting implementation weaknesses that some vendors had not fortified.
The good news? Router makers including Linksys and Netgear along with the Wi-Fi Alliance worked quickly to issue security patches. And updates standardized requirements going forward around encryption of device PINs and handshake processes to shore up vulnerabilities.
Since then, real world attacks leveraging weaknesses in WPS remain quite rare compared to exploits of default credentials or spoofing pirate access points instead.
Analyzing over a thousand modem/routers actively connected online in 2022, Kaspersky found only 5-6% having WPS enabled – indicating continued disabled defaults likely due to legacy hypothetical concerns. And only a tiny fraction showed evidence of exploitation. Researchers concluded enforcing device PIN complexity along with updated handshake encryption provides reasonable security for most consumers.
So while not impervious, modern WPS implementations on supported routers and devices offer adequately robust protection for simplifying connections in homes. But those with extreme security sensitivity may still opt to disable entirely – trading off convenience.
With WPS capabilities and considerations now illuminated along with how to take advantage to onboard devices with ease, you are equipped to put that subtle button to good use!
I hope this guide serves you in demystifying an often overlooked built-in router capability that can simplify connections across the growing array of Wi-Fi gadgets in your home. Never hesitate to reach out with any other questions on illuminatingnetworking technology!
