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These are the 3 ways to connect to WiFi, the last one is the safest

The vast majority of devices that we connect to the Internet do so via WiFi. For example, we connect smartphones, tablets, home IP cameras and any type of smart plug or home automation device to the local network and the Internet through WiFi connectivity. Although the most common is to connect to the WiFi network by entering the access password, there are other ways to do it. Today we are going to explain what all the ways are, and we will indicate which is the safest of all.

WiFi network connection methods

Currently we can connect to a WiFi network in our home in three different ways, however, one of them depends on what type of encryption we have in the router, because it does not support the latest WPA3-Personal encryption. Next, you have all the details.

Connection using WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)

All wireless routers from the Wi-Fi 4 standard have a physical button called WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup), this physical button will allow us to connect client devices that also support WPS without the need to enter any password. For 60 seconds or 120 seconds, any device around our router that supports WPS will be able to connect to the WiFi wireless network as if it did not have any type of authentication. This connection method is dangerous, because during that time anyone could connect to our wireless network, and what is more serious, if an advanced user is monitoring your WiFi network, he could get your WPA key by executing the WPS process, for example. Therefore, our recommendation is that you do not use this connection method.

The WPS protocol also has another connection method which is to enter an 8-digit PIN As a minimum and a maximum, many routers have currently withdrawn this method because it has serious security problems, especially if they do not limit the number of failed PIN attempts, as happened a few years ago in many operator routers. Finally, another way to connect is to enter a PIN code into the router that matches the client’s, although this form of wireless connection is rarer to see.

Use of QR codes

A connection method that has become popular in recent years due to smartphones and tablets is the possibility of connect to the WiFi wireless network through a QR code that we have on the router. There are routers that allow you to create a QR code as soon as we configure the wireless network, and it is modified in the firmware in real time, so that we can scan it with our device and proceed with the wireless connection. But not all router firmwares incorporate this feature, but you don’t have to worry because you could also generate QR codes with the following free tools:

Thanks to all these free tools, we can create a personalized QR code based on the SSID or WiFi network name and also the password that we have configured on our router.

Enter WPA2 or WPA3 password

The WPA protocol has been considered insecure for several years, and all current routers use the WPA2 or WPA3 protocol. As a general rule, all wireless routers incorporate the WPA2 protocol by default, so that wireless clients do not have WiFi connection problems. In this case, we must enter the entire WPA2 password when it asks us for authentication, it is highly recommended that the WiFI password have 15 characters or more, with a limit of up to 63 characters allowed.

Router with WPA3 encryption

You should only consider configuring WPA3 if:

  • All your WiFi clients that you have at home support this protocol, otherwise, you will not be able to connect and the connection will give you an error.
  • The clients that you are going to connect soon, like the guests, also support WPA3, otherwise they will not connect.

Right now WPA3 is beginning to be deployed on a large scale, but until there is greater compatibility, we will not be able to use it on our router even if it does support it, because it will make clients unable to connect.

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