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Encoding your WiFi access point password into a QR code

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41–50 of 234 posts

Re: Encoding your WiFi access point password into a QR code

#41

For those concerned about entering your network info into an online qr tool, some time ago I attempted a minimal JS and transparent site for generating these codes ( https://github.com/jamsinclair/wifiqr ). Or I suppose just use the cli tools, as mentioned, for extra safety...

Or is it extra safety to use the CLI? Arguably it is easier to verify that a webapp is not sending the data to a 3rd party, than it is to verify that the CLI tool doesn't (easy network inspection from the developer tools).

Its also very easy to put a webapp into offline mode

Re: Encoding your WiFi access point password into a QR code

#42
post #39

I painted my wifi password as a QR code on 40x40cm canvas.. Painted as in with a brush and paint, it was a bit of work, but now it's both pragmatic and pretty :)

Pics or it didn't happen.

I mean, it's not that hard to believe...

Re: Encoding your WiFi access point password into a QR code

#43
post #21
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not OP, but I've a guest network.

Guest network with no password is the way, some firmware allow you to turn the reset button into this function's switch.

Before WPA3 a network with no password offers less security than a network for which everybody knows the password.

In WPA3 finally the no password ("guest") case has randomly chosen keys using RFC 8110 instead of being unencrypted, so it's equivalent security to everybody knowing the password.

I agree no password is the best outcome, and WPA3 makes that finally no more dangerous than it needs to be.

Re: Encoding your WiFi access point password into a QR code

#44
post #5

Is it only Android 10 that can do this with scanning a qr code, or also v9?

Android 8.1.0 has at least support in the OS, but not in the Wi-Fi UI

I have Android 8.1.0 (LineageOS 15.1), and a generic 'barcode reader' app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.zxi...) and it works just fine.

Open the barcode scanner app, scan QR code, and it says "Requesting access to network'

Re: Encoding your WiFi access point password into a QR code

#46
Instead of installing a package to generate a QR code, you can simply use this free Google service:

https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?chs=120x120&cht=qr&chl=WI...;;

Remember to URL encode the SSID en PASSWORD if you have any characters that can't go into a URL. (Also, you have to trust Google to not store that URL anywhere)

Re: Encoding your WiFi access point password into a QR code

#47

Most ISP put this kind of QR code on the provided "modem" in France with the default Wifi password of the device. I love QR code. I think it should be everywhere. All legal documents and forms should have one. All supermarket bills should have one. It's a fantastic way to transition from paper to bits. Unfortunately most users have no idea what it is. They don't know what a URL is, so a QR code is out of the question…

Are you not concerned that QR code’s are just completely opaque URLs asking to be clicked? Do you confidently click on URLs in spam emails? Of course not since we all know URLs can point to malicious payloads. So why should we love QR code’s that could just as easily do the same.

If I’m a spammer trying to get people to click on my bogus links in my email messages, why wouldn’t I also print those same URLs as QR codes and paste them around my city with creatively enticing titles.

Re: Encoding your WiFi access point password into a QR code

#48

Most ISP put this kind of QR code on the provided "modem" in France with the default Wifi password of the device. I love QR code. I think it should be everywhere. All legal documents and forms should have one. All supermarket bills should have one. It's a fantastic way to transition from paper to bits. Unfortunately most users have no idea what it is. They don't know what a URL is, so a QR code is out of the question…

They can’t be used to encode very much data though. They wouldn’t be suitable for storing documents, but could be used to store the location of a document. I was trying to be clever once and thought I could encode X.509 certificates in QR codes. Even that much data was pushing the hard limits of what they can store, and became very hard to scan (I quickly realised this wasn’t actually very clever).

Re: Encoding your WiFi access point password into a QR code

#50

Most ISP put this kind of QR code on the provided "modem" in France with the default Wifi password of the device. I love QR code. I think it should be everywhere. All legal documents and forms should have one. All supermarket bills should have one. It's a fantastic way to transition from paper to bits. Unfortunately most users have no idea what it is. They don't know what a URL is, so a QR code is out of the question…

They can’t be used to encode very much data though. They wouldn’t be suitable for storing documents, but could be used to store the location of a document. I was trying to be clever once and thought I could encode X.509 certificates in QR codes. Even that much data was pushing the hard limits of what they can store, and became very hard to scan (I quickly realised this wasn’t actually very clever).

Can X.509 ceros use elliptic curve? They’d be much smaller.
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