19216811.liveChapter 7 Wireless
VMG3926-B10A User’s Guide
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Figure 49
WPS: Example Network Step 3
7.9.9.5
Limitations of WPS
WPS has some limitations of which you should be aware.
•
WPS works in Infrastructure networks only (where an AP and a wireless client communicate). It
does not work in Ad-Hoc networks (where there is no AP).
•
When you use WPS, it works between two devices only. You cannot enroll multiple devices
simultaneously, you must enroll one after the other.
For instance, if you have two enrollees and one registrar you must set up the first enrollee (by
pressing the WPS button on the registrar and the first enrollee, for example), then check that it
successfully enrolled, then set up the second device in the same way.
•
WPS works only with other WPS-enabled devices. However, you can still add non-WPS devices to
a network you already set up using WPS.
WPS works by automatically issuing a randomly-generated WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK pre-shared
key from the registrar device to the enrollee devices. Whether the network uses WPA-PSK or
WPA2-PSK depends on the device. You can check the configuration interface of the registrar
device to discover the key the network is using (if the device supports this feature). Then, you
can enter the key into the non-WPS device and join the network as normal (the non-WPS device
must also support WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK).
•
When you use the PBC method, there is a short period (from the moment you press the button
on one device to the moment you press the button on the other device) when any WPS-enabled
device could join the network. This is because the registrar has no way of identifying the
“correct” enrollee, and cannot differentiate between your enrollee and a rogue device. This is a
possible way for a hacker to gain access to a network.
You can easily check to see if this has happened. WPS works between only two devices
simultaneously, so if another device has enrolled your device will be unable to enroll, and will not
have access to the network. If this happens, open the access point’s configuration interface and
look at the list of associated clients (usually displayed by MAC address). It does not matter if the
CLIENT 1
AP1
REGISTRAR
CLIENT 2
EXISTING CONNECTION
SECURITY INFO
ENROLLEE
AP2
EXISTING CONNECTION