What Is Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)?

If you're new to wireless networking and need help setting up a good Wi-Fi connection, don't worry! The Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) protocol was designed with you in mind. It's a simple way for devices to connect to your network and gives you a secure connection between devices. All you have to do is press a button on both devices and voila! You're connected! (WPS) is a communications protocol designed to help facilitate the setup of wireless networks in homes and small offices? It is geared toward users and groups unfamiliar with Wi-Fi configuration. WPS allows devices to be easily added to a network while providing a secure connection. The Wi-Fi Alliance designed WPS in 2006, and it is used on most Wi-Fi-enabled devices today, including routers, access points and other types of hardware. The WPS protocol is part of the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless networking. The name of the protocol comes from its ability to set up a wireless device quickly, which makes it "protected." When you connect two or more wireless devices with a button, you're not just touching them. You're making a choice. You're using your PIN, the personal identification number on your device display, to unlock your connection. It's an important choice because when you use it, you're giving one of your devices the power to connect to another using nothing but its power and Word. You've probably heard of WPS, the Wi-Fi Protected Setup protocol that lets you connect your devices to your network with simple steps. It's great. There's a problem: WPS is prone to brute-force attacks, which can allow other devices to connect to a network. One episode may last up to four hours until the perpetrator determines the correct PIN. This vulnerability can be countered by imposing restrictions or disabling the WPS feature after several incorrect attempts to input the PIN. However, the WPS feature is not disabled on some devices and is turned off.