WPS is an acronym in English that means Wi-Fi Protected Setup. It is a security standard for wireless networks that makes it easy to connect devices to the Wi-Fi network.
The advantage of WPS is its practicality, because allows the connection to be made without the need to enter the password. However, it has the disadvantage of making the network more vulnerable to external attacks.
How does WPS work?
When you want to connect a device to a Wi-Fi network that is not open - such as networks in public places - we usually need the network password to make the connection.
The WPS feature is designed to facilitate this process and is available on most routers. When using WPS, the connection is made automatically and it is not necessary to enter the network password.
To make this automatic connection, just press the WPS button on the router. The router then communicates with the device that is looking for the network and makes the connection without the need to enter the password.
For this procedure to be carried out, the router must have the WPS function and the device must also allow this connection. In the case of
smartphones, for example, this connection is only possible with operating system devices Android.Also know what it is wireless.
Disadvantage of WPS
For WPS to work, your router uses an eight-number code, which is recorded in the device's memory. As it is a simple code - numeric only - it becomes more susceptible to attacks of hackers.
These intrusions are dangerous because when accessing a Wi-Fi network, the hacker you will not only have access to the internet, but to everything that passes through the network.
Thus, it is recommended that the WPS function of the routers be kept disabled. For network security, it is preferable to use WPA and WPA2 standards, which require a password for access.
What is WPA and WPA2?
WPA means Wi-Fi Protected Access and are security standards for wireless networks. Both are currently used, but WPA2 is an evolution of WPA in terms of security, that is, it is a standard that offers more security against attacks.
These standards are used for cases of Wi-Fi networks that require a password to be accessed. But for a password to be really strong, it needs a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, special characters and numbers. In other words, to be really secure, the password must be complex.
The WPS standard exists for cases where you want to facilitate access to networks with this security standard, because when you enable this feature, the connection is made automatically and it is not necessary to enter the key. safety.
See also the meaning of Internet, WiFi and WWW.