WLAN

If you’ve ever set up a wireless router on your own, you’ve probably heard of WPS. You might come across this term in the router’s configuration menus or see it on the backside of your router — but do you know what WPS actually means and how it works? If you can’t answer these questions yourself, then you’re in the right place.

What is WPS?

WPS stands for WiFi Protected Setup. It’s effectively a wireless network security standard that speeds up and simplifies the process of connecting your device with a router. It helps to do it quickly without entering a Wi-Fi password. To enable WPS you should find a tactile button located on the backside of your router or switch it on in the configurations menu of the router. When you turn it on, WPS mode allows you to connect your various devices to your router using the WPS password, also known as the WPA-PSA key.

In fact, WPS is not responsible for the Wi-Fi connection at all. It’s designed solely to send the connection data between the router and the wireless device. Remember, that’s an important distinction.

WPS was an idea of the nonprofit ‘Wi-Fi Alliance’. The alliance is effectively an association of the largest companies that create computers and Wi-Fi devices. More than 600 members take part, including companies such as Microsoft, Samsung, and Intel. Alliance was founded in 1999 to promote Wi-Fi technologies and certificate Wi-Fi products around the world. This standard was created in 2007 to simplify the connection process and since that time, most Wi-Fi systems around the world have adopted it.

How does WPS work?

If you want to connect your wireless device, you have to know the password to the Wi-Fi network. This process isn’t difficult but it takes some time to get the essential data. WPS makes it easier and a bit quicker.

There are some different ways to do it. First of all, WPS can be a workaround for connecting to Wi-Fi without a password. To do so, you should hit the WPS button on your router to enable device detection. Then, take your device and choose the network you need to connect to. The connection will be immediately available and the system won’t ask you to enter the password.

Some wireless electronic equipment like printers also has a WPS button that can be used to make rapid connections. All you have to do is to push both buttons, on the device and on the router, to get access to the wireless network. You don’t need to enter any data here, as the WPS delivers the password automatically. Also, that device will be able to connect to the same Wi-Fi router without pushing WPS buttons in the future as the password will be remembered.

The other option requires one to use the eight-digit PIN code. When WPS is enabled on a router, a PIN code is produced automatically. The WPS PIN can be found on the WPS setup page. Some devices that lack a WPS button will require the PIN. If you enter the wireless network, they verify themselves and connect to it.

The last option also can be done by using that eight-digit PIN. Some devices do not have the WPS button but also support WPS, so they will produce a client PIN that will be used by the router to connect the device to the network. You should just enter the PIN in the settings of your router to get access.

Unfortunately, methods that require using a PIN code don’t have any benefits in the speed of the connection process. You spend the same amount of time entering the router’s password and the WPS PIN, so you should just choose the way that’s more comfortable for you.

Which devices work with WPS?

WPS is supported by a wide range of devices, most commonly, wireless routers. However, you can also find a WPS button on wireless printers, Wi-Fi Range Extenders and Repeaters, which commonly provide WPS capabilities as well. Finally, the WPS functionality is available on a few higher-end laptops, tablets, smartphones, and 2-in-1 devices, where it’s usually implemented via software rather than physical buttons.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of WPS?

Despite the fact that WPS is embedded in most Wi-Fi equipment, the benefit of this standard is still a controversial issue. Some professionals opt for using it as it makes the connection to the router easier and quicker while others opt against it as WPS mitigates the security of the connection process.

Advantages:

1. It's quick, especially if both the router and the client device have the WPS button.

2. It's simple and requires no technical knowledge. There is no more primitive way of connecting Wi-Fi than pressing the WPS button on both the router and the client device.

3. Support is relatively strong. WPS is supported by all routers and most networking devices. WPS can also be used to establish rapid Wi-Fi network connections on the most common operating systems like Windows, Android, and Linux.

Disadvantages:

1. It isn't really safe. WPS connections using PINs appear to be particularly sensitive to brute-force attacks. A successful WPS attack allows an attacker to obtain access to your Wi-Fi network, and disabling WPS is the only viable remedy.

2. WPS can be used by anyone who has physical access to the router. So any person who is aware of the router’s location can connect it without your permission.

3. WPS is not supported by Apple. You can't connect to Wi-Fi using WPS if you have a Mac, an iPhone, or an iPad. This is because Apple has determined that WPS is insufficiently secure, and thus WPS isn’t not supported by any of the devices.

Conclusion

As we’ve found out, the WPS network’s security standard has both benefits and limitations. On the one hand, it helps us to avoid remembering the Wi-Fi password and connect quickly. On the other hand, WPS is not secure enough to foster user confidence across the board. So, it’s up to you to decide on using WPS or not. In any case, you can disable the function at any time you want by simply switching off the WPS button.

The vast majority of individuals look for nearby WiFi hotspots on their laptop computers. The most up-to-date personal computers have the ability to instantly recognize whether a wireless connection is present. But what if you don’t want to go through the effort of unpacking your laptop, starting it up, logging on, and then strolling about with it just to discover that there is no wireless network coverage in the area where you are? Because of this, having a WiFi sniffer on hand may be quite helpful in assisting you in rapidly locating the nearest WiFi network.

What is a WiFi sniffer?

A WiFi sniffer is a portable instrument that can locate the wifi network that is closest to the user. In addition to this, it will assist you in determining the strength of the WiFi signal, and if there are many signals, a WiFi sniffer will prioritize the signals in terms of their strength, which will save the user both time and annoyance.

WiFi sniffers are available in a variety of device formats, either as a stand-alone appliance or as software add-ons that interact with your wireless mobile device. You may get a WiFi sniffer in any of these two ways. The add-ons may often be obtained through the service provider of your mobile device, although standalone WiFi sniffers can be purchased at any store specializing in the sale of computers or electronic goods.

WiFi sniffers are able to handle all kinds of wireless network cards and come included with a Prism2 driver that may assist you in determining the intensity of the signal. WiFi sniffers are developed using C++ programming and operate using an "n-tier" structure. The gathering of data begins at the lowest tier and progresses up to the topmost layer, which is where the user interface is placed.

How does a WiFi sniffer work?

The operation of a WiFi sniffer does not call for a significant amount of technical expertise and may be carried out with relative ease. If you are using the standalone device, which is compact and portable, all you need to do is push and hold down the main button, aim it in any direction where you wish to locate a wireless network, and then use the gadget. This will activate the gadget, and while it is looking for a signal, the device will display lights that revolve in a circular pattern. The indicator light will remain constant after it finds a wireless signal. This means that it has detected a wireless network that is within a range of 300 feet of your device.

In the event that a signal cannot be found, the rotating lights will continue to do so, and it may be required to attempt to look in a different direction. If you are in an area where the wireless signal is poor, it is possible that it may be necessary to make adjustments to the antenna. WiFi sniffers that are add-ons to your mobile device do their functions in a manner that is analogous to that of the standalone device. Nonetheless, their specific capabilities change depending on the sort of mobile device that you are utilizing.

WiFi sniffer features

Just like there are many various brands of wireless devices available on the market, there are also many different brands of WiFi sniffers, each of which has functions that vary depending on the model of the device. While searching for a high-quality WiFi sniffer, one of the qualities you should look for is a device that is capable of avoiding interference from other electronic gadgets and appliances, such as mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, and microwave ovens. The better-grade devices will have the ability to capture a wireless signal regardless of the environment that they are placed in.

The most effective kind of WiFi sniffer often operates on the 2.4GHz frequency band and has the capacity to identify WiFi signals for both 802.11b and 802.11b/g. It needs to be easy to carry around with you, be convenient, and be small enough to fit in your pocket or laptop bag.

WiFi sniffers that have the qualities described above are also useful tools for usage in the house. Whether you are setting up a home office or Internet-ready gadgets, a WiFi sniffer can assist you in determining the areas of your home with the strongest wireless signal so that you can optimize the signal's capabilities and get the most out of your home office or devices.

Isn’t a WiFi sniffer illegal?

No. Stumbling across a wireless network by using a WiFi sniffer is a much simpler process than wireless sniffing, as the two terms refer to quite distinct activities. A WiFi sniffer's sole purpose is to discover the location of the nearest accessible wireless connection; however, it cannot actually join the network itself. Eavesdropping on conversations taking place inside of wireless networks is what's known as wireless sniffing, and it's a technique that's intended to break into a network. The former is permitted but the latter is not, particularly when it is utilized in the commission of illegal conduct.

On the other hand, wireless sniffing is entirely within the law when it is employed by IT employees to monitor network incursions on a business or government infrastructure. This is the case whether the infrastructure is owned by a private company or the government. Monitoring the information packets that are sent over a network is what's referred to as "intrusion detection," and it's used to protect sensitive data from being stolen by hackers and other malicious users of the internet.

There are a few businesses that have made it illegal for customers to use WiFi sniffers, which are devices that randomly search for available wifi networks. Instead, corporations are deploying apps that are based on directories and that can be allowed for usage by mobile employees as well as other people.

Hopefully, the material presented here will assist you in gaining a deeper comprehension of WiFi sniffers and the functions they perform. In short, they’ll help you save time and stress while maximizing the signal strength of your home wireless network.