WPS Security Threat

Most routers today have an easy way for you to connect your wireless devices to your home network. If your router has an eight digit pin on it for connecting devices or you have a WiFi protected setup button or it displays the WPS logo then you are open to a security flaw. It turns out that this technology that allows a non-technical home user to connect devices also allows others to connect by using a simple tool and a few hours. What is the danger? When someone is within range of your wireless router they can gain access to your network and then your files on your home computers that contain personal information.

What can you do?  Well if you have a Linksys router you will have to wait until they have an updated firmware because there is no way to turn off the WPS setup system.   Other routers will have a place to disable the pin setup method.   I have a Netgear, here are screen shots of where to go to set this setting.

Login to the router, typically you click the address area of the browser and enter 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1   You will be presented with a login screen.  Most people will still have the default username and password which is “admin” and “password” on Netgear devices.   If you do not know the password you may have to set the device back to defaults.

Yes this is getting technical which is what WPS was supposed to help you not have to do.  Just wait till Linksys gets its firmware update available and provides you those instructions.

Now that I have logged in, I scroll down the blue menu to the advanced section and then click Wireless Settings.   There will be a section showing the WPS pin which I have grayed out.  Under that is a line that says Disable Wireless Pin.   Click that check box and click apply.   This will disable the WPS feature.

Here I have provided links to the support for some of the wireless router providers.  They do not have updates for WPS listed but they should soon.