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Guest WiFi using a QR code

blog.jgc.org

21–30 of 284 posts

Re: Guest WiFi using a QR code

#21
post #17
post #9

I've done this for years, quite convenient. I also have an NFC tag with the WiFi which works quicker (no need to open a QR scanner and no need to focus on the image for a sec) but I'm not sure if iOS supports it. I've put the tag behind the wifi "frame" so that you can just tap it instead of scanning it. Android also has the option to "share" wifi via a QR code from the WiFi settings menu. It is quick and much easier…

What do you need, to produce (or rather program) nfc tags...? I guess they don't have usb ports, lol.

You can program them via NFC. I use this app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wakdev.wdn... which can do it for free and has lots of neat NFC tools.

Re: Guest WiFi using a QR code

#22
post #2

Call me paranoid, but I've taken to not scanning "public" QR codes any longer [1]. [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/07/are-qr-...

There is way too much human interest to that article and way too little substance on the problems. Tl;dr - there’s no security risk unique to QR codes are that aren’t simply present on the Internet at-large.

Yes, but there are security risks unique to QR code menus at pizza joints that aren't present on pizza joint menus at large. The status quo for restaurant menus is printed text.

Also, QR codes obfuscate the request that is being sent.

Re: Guest WiFi using a QR code

#23
post #20

Bit of a self-plug I know, but this reminds me of something I had made a while back ( https://github.com/kmanc/wifi_qr ). Nice work! Always fun to see others' take on neat projects

Amazing. I literally did this and then decided it was overkill. Almost with the same hardware!

Re: Guest WiFi using a QR code

#25

Making an online wifi QR code generator seems like a nifty way to make a good password dictionary. Just saying.

For Wi-Fi though? Seems relatively low risk to me. Concerns over password security can be mitigated by those that care by using unique, randomly-generates strings per service.

People are generally less worried about wifi password quality, so perhaps a DB of the general types of passwords people use would be useful for an attacker? (regardless of the ability to defend oneself -- in any dense population area, the attacker only has to find one person with a poor password)

Re: Guest WiFi using a QR code

#26
post #14

I've suggested this to every AirBnB I have stayed in. Sadly I am up to about 75-100 of them and have come across this a grand total of zero times.

This right here. I've done the same. It's absurd the level of password hoops at some places. I appreciate the secure password, but when it's hand written in marker and faded it can be quite frustrating.

Re: Guest WiFi using a QR code

#27
Here's what I do in my home: I've had the same easy-to-type WiFi password (it's a name and a four-digit year) since 2005 and I just tell my guests. It's not even a guest network. It's just my network. Free hugs in my house too.

Re: Guest WiFi using a QR code

#28
post #13
post #9

I've done this for years, quite convenient. I also have an NFC tag with the WiFi which works quicker (no need to open a QR scanner and no need to focus on the image for a sec) but I'm not sure if iOS supports it. I've put the tag behind the wifi "frame" so that you can just tap it instead of scanning it. Android also has the option to "share" wifi via a QR code from the WiFi settings menu. It is quick and much easier…

iOS lets you share wifi passwords with someone else around you if they are trying to connect. I _think_ it uses your AirDrop privacy settings so for most reasonable people it would only work for people in their contact list.

It is a pretty neat feature.

The only thing I don't love about it is, there's very little user feedback. The person requesting just goes to the wifi password prompt and hopefully this generates the notification for one of their contacts.

Nice when it magically works (you go to wifi, and then someone in the room is like "Hey, dcdc123 wants the wifi password" and you are like "yep," and then it's all sorted), annoying when you are intentionally trying to use it with one particular person.

It would be nice if it showed something like "looking for contacts" "found " etc etc.

Re: Guest WiFi using a QR code

#29
post #14

I've suggested this to every AirBnB I have stayed in. Sadly I am up to about 75-100 of them and have come across this a grand total of zero times.

Idea: make one for each AirBnB you stay in. If you don’t have access to a printer while you’re there email them a PDF.

Re: Guest WiFi using a QR code

#30
post #3

https://www.qr-code-generator.com/ Works for Text Messages too! (= I made a QR Code for my contact info in a VCard and set it as the home screen of my phone -- when I go to conventions it makes it really easy to connect with people. There's a lot of cool stuff you can do with QR Codes now. Most of this stuff is 5-10 years old even, but the pandemic really helped educated people to look for QR Codes. Yay, Covid! =P

It would not use that one, it sends the network name and password to a server. This was easy to verify with browser dev tools.

There are QR code generators that are work entirely client-side, I would trust those much more, or just use a native app.

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