What is WPS, what does the WPS button on the modem do?

If you have installed the wireless modem yourself, you have probably come across the word WPS in the configuration menus. A button on the back of the modem that says WPS has drawn your attention. In this guide, what is WPS, what does the WPS button on the modem do, how to connect with WPS? We tell you all the curious about WPS, such as

What does WPS mean?

WPS stands for WiFi Protected Setup; It stands for WiFi Protected Setup. WPS is a network security standard that simplifies the process of connecting devices to a wireless network. It helps you add devices to WiFi networks in seconds without having to enter a long WiFi password. As an important detail; WPS only allows connection data to be sent between the modem (router) and the client device.

The WPS key on many modems was created in 2006 by the WiFi Alliance (a global non-profit association that supports WiFi technology and certifies WiFi products). Over time, all WiFi hardware manufacturers have adopted it. After all, WPS is now a core feature found in all wireless routers and mesh WiFi systems.

What does WPS do?

The purpose of WPS is to help home users who do not know much about network security set up their home wireless networks securely. When you connect your laptop (laptop), smartphone, tablet, television or other device to a WiFi network, you must enter the network name and password. If you do not enter the correct password (WPA PSK key), you cannot connect to the network. Although this process is not complicated, it takes some time to enter the required information; WPS makes this easy.

How to connect with WPS?

You can connect your devices to the wireless network without entering the network password. Press the WPS button on the modem to show new devices. Then from your device, select the network you want to connect to. The device will automatically connect to the internet.

You may have devices such as a wireless printer or range extender with their own WPS button that you can use to provide a fast connection. You can connect devices to your wireless network by pressing the WPS button on the modem and then on these devices. You do not need to enter any data during this process. WPS automatically sends the network password and these devices save the password. Thus, they can connect to the same network without having to use the WPS button again in the future.

Another method is to enter the 8-digit PIN code. Modems with WPS turned on have an automatically generated PIN code. You can find the WPS PIN on the WPS configuration page. Some devices without a WPS key will ask you to enter this PIN. When you enter, they connect to the wireless network after verification.

WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) can only be used for wireless networks that require a password and are encrypted with the WPA/WPA2 or WPA3 personal security protocols. WPS will not work on wireless networks that use deprecated WEP security, which can be easily cracked by any hacker with basic knowledge and skills.

How to use WPS?

You can use WPS to quickly connect your computer, tablet, phone to the WiFi network. How to connect with WPS? We explain step by step:

1. Select the WiFi network you want to connect to via WPS.

First, view the list of available wireless networks on your Windows 10 computer. For this, click on the wireless network icon in the system tray. The drop-down list shows all the WiFi networks available near you. Find the wireless network you want to connect to via WPS and click the network name, and then click connect. When you enter the shooting area, you can also set to automatically connect to the selected network without pressing connect.

2. Connect via WPS instead of entering the WiFi password.

Windows 10 prompts you to enter the password of the WiFi you want to connect to. If WPS is turned on in the modem that distributes the WiFi network, a warning appears just below the password field stating that you can connect by pressing the WPS button on the modem. Go near the wireless modem and press and hold the WPS button that will be next to or behind it for a few seconds. In a few seconds, Windows 10 automatically gets the wireless settings from the modem or access point and connects to the WiFi network by itself without you entering the password.

That’s how easy it is to connect to a wireless network using WPS. You do not need to press the WPS button again the next time you connect to this network from the same computer or device. This is because; that the modem has already imported all the necessary settings, including the security password, into Windows 10.

Should WPS be on or off?

Most wireless modems have WPS turned on by default. The goal is to make it easy for users to set up their network and add all their devices to the WiFi network. Therefore, after setting up your network and adding your devices to your WiFi network, you can turn off WPS on your modem if you are worried about security.

How to turn off WPS?

If your modem allows you to disable WPS, you can do so using your modem’s web-based configuration interface.

Open your browser and enter your modem’s IP address in the address bar. Each modem manufacturer has its own configuration interface. Therefore, the process for disabling WPS varies from modem to modem. However, you can usually turn off WPS using WiFi Protected Setup in the WPS tab or settings in the menu. You can also turn it off by pressing the WPS button on the back of the modem (it can be just the icon). Some modems, routers do not allow you to disable WPS.

Where is the modem WPS key located?

If you want to use WPS to connect your devices to WiFi, you must first know the location of the WPS button on your modem. The WPS button is usually located on the back of the modem, and in some range extenders, it may appear on the side. The location of the WPS button can change as well as its function. For example; When you short press the WPS button on TP-Link routers, WPS turns on, long press turns WiFi on and off.