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Encoding your WiFi access point password into a QR code

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131–140 of 234 posts

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

#131
post #121
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you change the password, will you repaint the picture?

It's just a guest network... Who cares if my neighbors or people walking by can use it?

Pretty sure you're somewhat responsible for your IP

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

#132
post #127

I really think manufacturers have really missed out on an opportunity with QR codes by handing them over to marketing. Most of the early QR codes in the US were just links to advertising. I'm not going out of my way to scan a QR code just to be advertised to. On the other hand it could have been a great way to develop much better relationships with your customers. As a trivial example, I own a snowblower. It would be…

Regular people know how to read make/model numbers and use google. Things get dirty. QR codes are not a good solution. It’s a URL it’s not as magically useful as you think.

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

#134
post #121
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you change the password, will you repaint the picture?

It's just a guest network... Who cares if my neighbors or people walking by can use it?

That depends on your legal jurisdiction and its ideas about liability.

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

#135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 code…

Do you never click URLs in emails? Of course you do, when you're confident the sender is reputable. Parent was referencing trusted contexts: the default password printed on your wifi router, the bill a cashier just handed you for what you just bought, the legal papers you just signed, etc. The QR code just links the trusted document with trustworthy digital versions & extended content. I'm not worried a spammer is go…

I can't imagine a qr code on a receipt being anything but tracker-infested spam.

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

#136

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).

It’s easier to verify the CLI tool, since it wouldn’t be available in my distribution’s repositories if it contained phone-home code.

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

#137

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…

> Not to mention some QRcode readers are sometimes just the regular camera app (E.G: modern iOS), which is very confusing.

You can use that if you wish, however there is an entirely separate and dedicated QR reader built into iOS that is accessible from control center. The icon to launch it is even a QR code which eliminates such “confusion”.

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

#139

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…

> Not to mention some QRcode readers are sometimes just the regular camera app (E.G: modern iOS), which is very confusing. You can use that if you wish, however there is an entirely separate and dedicated QR reader built into iOS that is accessible from control center. The icon to launch it is even a QR code which eliminates such “confusion”.

Huh, I had no idea there was a dedicated QR reader "app", since it's not a default icon (you have to add it from within Settings), and there's no actual app. But it's there!

Interesting they added that when the camera app already scans QR codes. I wonder if it's an enterprise thing for devices in the field, where companies want to prevent the camera app (no photos), but need to scan codes.

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

#140
post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The QR scanning app that I use displays the URL so I can check if it looks okay, but most of them are abbreviated using services like bit.ly, so that doesn't help much. You'd have to have a UI that lets the user step through several redirections, but that would probably confuse people.

Qrafter on iOS has exactly that UI, which is why I use it.

If anyone knows of an equivalent on Android (preferably available on F-Droid), I'm all ears.
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