Kevin
September 12, 2021
Common Questions
Do you know the definition of WPS? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the abbreviation WPS, including its definition, usage, origin, and more!
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According to Bonkers About Tech, the term WPS stands for Wi-Fi Protected Setup. Formerly, this was known as Wi-Fi Simple Config. This is a network security standard for devices that was designed to create a secure wireless network at home. It also let users connect their devices to the home routers easily and quickly. WPS only works with WPA or WPA wireless security protocols, and not WEP. Many people use encryption with their wireless security systems using a WPA2 Personal PSK, which stands for pre-shared key. People can either use the default passphrase or their own password for their Wi-Fi network. The default is usually on a sticker on the router. Your modem or router probably has a WPS button or WPS push button. This push button method connection process means that the user must push a button, either an actual or virtual one, on both the access point and the new wireless client device.
New devices come with a default password that you can change and a network name that can also be changed. To connect wireless devices to your home network, you must enter the network password you have created for the wireless router to the devices, like wireless printers, tablets, a PC desktop or a laptop for home users. Some WiFi routers use a WPS PIN with digits. This router PIN is usually an eight-digit pin and prevents unauthorized access to WPS devices. However, brute-force attacks can make these less secure which is a flaw. Router manufacturers make it an option for a device to remember a connection and authentication for future use and easier access. This is usually a consumer’s favorite feature.
While WPS is convenient, it is not secure. Due to the push button connect and the PIN, it makes it much easier for people to get access to your Wi-Fi network than other methods of authentication. Most people will tell you to disable WPS, which is only an option on certain routers. Wi-fi clients can try and PIN code over and over and over again, until they get it right. While there are 100 million possible codes in th 8-digit code, the last digit is a checksum digit, which means the program only has 7 digits to choose. The Wi-Fi client sends the first 4 digits over to the router to be validated, and after those are validated, then it offers the last 3 digits for validation. This means that a computer only has to guess the password 11,000 times, because four digits is 10,000 code possibilities and three digits are 1,000 code possibilities. This would make it easy for attackers to get in.
According to The Free Dictionary, the abbreviation WPS also has a plethora of different meanings outside of “Wi-Fi Protected Setup.” While these are all still valid definitions, they are far less common and should be used sparingly to eliminate any confusion. If you do plan to use one of these different definitions for the acronym WPS, ensure that you are providing the reader or listener with the proper context to be able to decipher your intended meaning. This should be standard practice with any acronym that can have more than one definition. When in doubt, use the full form of the acronym WPS.
Overall, WPS means Wi-Fi Protected Setup. This term also has a plethora of other meanings.
