About Wi-Fi Protected Setup

Wi-Fi Protected Setup

The Wi-Fi Alliance’s Wi-Fi Protected Setup specification describes how home and small business wireless devices can be automatically configured with wireless network security settings. The specification outlines two ways to do this: a secure PIN code method and a convenient Pushbutton method. Let’s see how both of these set-up methods work.

Pushbutton Setup

The most convenient way for end-users to set-up a wireless network is by using the Pushbutton method as defined in the Wi-Fi Protected Setup specification. It is expected that most wireless devices will support this technique because of its extreme user-friendliness. The basic steps in detecting, negotiating and registering are illustrated below.

	Wi-Fi Protected Setup Pushbutton Method
	AP advertises Wi-Fi Protected Setup capability in beacon
WPS-enabled Camera	Camera's wireless software detects AP and prompts user to press a key to connect to AP	WPS-enabled Access Point (AP)
	User then presses button on AP to confirm
	Authentication phase
	AP delivers encrypted WPA-PSK key and SSID to camera Standard WPA four-way authentication can now begin

PIN Code Setup

The Wi-Fi Protected Setup specification also mandates that all compliant devices support the use of a four- or eight-digit PIN code as the basis for automatically setting up a secure wireless association. The essential steps in detecting, negotiating and registering are illustrated below.

	Wi-Fi Protected Setup PIN Method
	AP advertises Wi-Fi Protected Setup capability in beacon
WPS-enabled Printer	Printer sends probe request to AP to indicate it is capable of WPS configuration	WPS-enabled Access Point (AP)
	User enters 8-digit PIN from printer packaging via the AP web interface to begin WPS
	Authentication phase commences using PIN as shared secret
	AP delivers encrypted WPA-PSK key and SSID to printer Standard WPA four-way authentication can now begin