connection to hp printer

AndyPix

Explaining WPS a bit.......


The idea is, that when you want to connect a new device to your wifi, instead of entering a username and password, you press the WPS button on your router.
You then have 30 seconds or so to activate WPS on the device you want to connect, and bingo they connect with no username and password.


The idea is, that someone has to have physical access to your router to do this (as it is in your house) and the likelihood of someone walking past, within that 30 second window that the connection is looking for a WPS device is extremely remote.


So that's how it is designed to work ... And it does work fine.


However, there is a flaw in the technical side of this that somehow (god knows how) got overlooked when it was being designed. . Now that flaw has been discovered and is widely known about, it can be exploited by a hacker with some special software that is freely available on the web and easy to use.


It doesn't matter if you have pressed the WPS button or not, if I am outside your house and you haven't DISABLED WPS on the router (So that it doesn't function at all) then I can easily use my technique to force your router to reveal its wireless (WPA) key to me.


(If you want me to go into more detail on this I will, but I wont volunteer it as it is a bit technical and you might not be interested)


As for your devices remembering the wifi password, this is normal behaviour and has nothing to do with WPS. Once you have connected a device to a wifi signal it remembers those credentials and will auto connect next time it detects that signal.


So disabling WPS will have no impact on you whatsoever apart from you wont be able to use the push button service I described , Oh, and your wifi network will now be secure


And as for your comment about why is it on by default ... This I have no answer for, like I say, it is staggering to me. But I suppose the "general population" don't know about the flaw, and this coupled with the fact that it allows a hack that an attacker has to be physically close to you kind of makes it a little bit less newsworthy.


But you still don't want someone cracking your wifi !! An attacker could cause you a world of hurt if they wanted to using this method (again I will explain further if you wish but it is very technical)


I hope this answers your questions, and I will say again you shouldn't lose any sleep over it lol.
The chances of this happening to you are very remote, but they exist non the less


Andy

joe134

AndyPix wrote: »

Explaining WPS a bit.......


The idea is, that when you want to connect a new device to your wifi, instead of entering a username and password, you press the WPS button on your router.
You then have 30 seconds or so to activate WPS on the device you want to connect, and bingo they connect with no username and password.


The idea is, that someone has to have physical access to your router to do this (as it is in your house) and the likelihood of someone walking past, within that 30 second window that the connection is looking for a WPS device is extremely remote.


So that's how it is designed to work ... And it does work fine.


However, there is a flaw in the technical side of this that somehow (god knows how) got overlooked when it was being designed. . Now that flaw has been discovered and is widely known about, it can be exploited by a hacker with some special software that is freely available on the web and easy to use.


It doesn't matter if you have pressed the WPS button or not, if I am outside your house and you haven't DISABLED WPS on the router (So that it doesn't function at all) then I can easily use my technique to force your router to reveal its wireless (WPA) key to me.


(If you want me to go into more detail on this I will, but I wont volunteer it as it is a bit technical and you might not be interested)


As for your devices remembering the wifi password, this is normal behaviour and has nothing to do with WPS. Once you have connected a device to a wifi signal it remembers those credentials and will auto connect next time it detects that signal.


So disabling WPS will have no impact on you whatsoever apart from you wont be able to use the push button service I described , Oh, and your wifi network will now be secure


And as for your comment about why is it on by default ... This I have no answer for, like I say, it is staggering to me. But I suppose the "general population" don't know about the flaw, and this coupled with the fact that it allows a hack that an attacker has to be physically close to you kind of makes it a little bit less newsworthy.


But you still don't want someone cracking your wifi !! An attacker could cause you a world of hurt if they wanted to using this method (again I will explain further if you wish but it is very technical)


I hope this answers your questions, and I will say again you shouldn't lose any sleep over it lol.
The chances of this happening to you are very remote, but they exist non the less


Andy

Thanks Andy, very interesting that.
On my router are just the letters and a bit of flexi plastlc, where I thought a button COULD be,by the on/off only pop up actual button.? It must be under the plastic flap?
Shows how much I notice.:)will look into it more
I wonder how many use this system?
The pics in my photos caused alarm,gouty foot etc, so far, none, disabled cloud.
I always like to minimise risk if possible, but, there was no mention of changing router PW,s in booklet, just plug/play, on all my routers in the past;.
I suppose that,s what people want. easiest route.
No good having to log in router to be told.
Who logs in routers on a regular basis.?
Not me, without due cause.:beer:

AndyPix

I think the bit of flexi plastic IS the button