How To Connect to Wi-Fi Using WPS: A Comprehensive Guide

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how to connect to a Wi-Fi Access Point (AP) using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). WPS is a network security standard that allows users to easily establish a secure wireless home network. We’ll cover several methods including configurations, command-line interface (CLI), and graphical user interface (GUI).

WPS Connection Using CLI with wpa_cli

The wpa_cli is a command-line client for wpa_supplicant. It can be used to query current status, change configuration, trigger events, and interact with wpa_supplicant in other ways.

WPS Push-button mode

1. Run the command sudo wpa_cli wps_pbc. This command initiates the WPS Push-button configuration method.
2. Within two minutes, push the WPS button on the AP. The AP should detect the WPS request and establish a connection.

WPS Pin mode

1. Run the command sudo wpa_cli wps_pin any <the pin>. Replace <the pin> with the actual PIN of the AP. This command initiates the WPS PIN configuration method.
2. The AP should detect the WPS request and establish a connection.

WPS Connection Using CLI with wpa_supplicant

wpa_supplicant is a WPA Supplicant with support for WPA and WPA2 (IEEE 802.11i / RSN). It’s suitable for both desktops and embedded systems.

Steps

1. Stop the Network-Manager using sudo stop network-manager (Upstart) or sudo systemctl stop NetworkManager.service (Systemd). Network-Manager is a dynamic network control and configuration system that aims to keep network devices and connections up and active when they’re available.
2. Create a basic wpa_supplicant.conf file in /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf with the command echo -e "ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant\nctrl_interface_group=0\nupdate_config=1" | sudo tee /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf. This command creates a configuration file for wpa_supplicant.
3. Start wpa_supplicant in daemon mode with the command sudo wpa_supplicant -B -Dwext -i<your_interface> -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf, replacing <your_interface> with the interface name. This command starts the wpa_supplicant daemon.
4. Run sudo wpa_cli to start an interactive session. The wpa_cli command provides a command-line interface to interact with wpa_supplicant.
5. Verify the status with the status command, scan for access points with scan, and view the scan results with scan_result.
6. Add the BSSID and PIN of the AP using the command wps_reg <BSSID> <PIN>, replacing <BSSID> and <PIN> with the actual values. This command registers the new device (your computer) with the AP.
7. Save the configuration with the save command. This command saves the current configuration to a file.
8. Exit wpa_cli and obtain an IP address from the AP using sudo dhclient <your_interface>. This command requests an IP address from the DHCP server (in this case, the AP).
9. Verify the updated configuration file with cat /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf. This command displays the contents of the configuration file.

WPS Connection Using GUI

Some Linux distributions, like Ubuntu, may have built-in support for WPS in their network settings.

1. Open the network settings.
2. Select the Wi-Fi network.
3. Choose the option to connect using WPS.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions, which may involve pushing the WPS button on the AP.
5. The network settings should automatically configure the connection without requiring a password.

It’s important to note that the effectiveness of these methods may vary depending on your specific Linux distribution and hardware. Additionally, some users have reported issues with certain setups, so it’s recommended to check the comments and feedback from other users to troubleshoot any potential problems.

We hope this guide has provided you with a comprehensive understanding of how to connect to a Wi-Fi network using WPS. If you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to leave a comment below.