Guest WiFi using a QR code • Hacker News Board

Re: Guest WiFi using a QR code

#281

Post by fmajid » Fri, Jul 15, 2022, 7:14 AM UTC

mjevans wrote: post #206

rootusrootus wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be pedantic, it doesn't require the owner to give permission. It'll get it from anyone else near enough who has it on their device. My kids give away our primary WiFi to their friends with some annoying regularity, even though I keep telling them to scan the QR code on the wall for the guest network.

Why have a non-'guest' network? Force anything secure over a proper VPN E.G. wireguard.

Streaming services block VPNs, many sites like Wikipedia impose restrictions (no editing allowed from a VPN), and geoloc based services act oddly (I live in London and my VPN server is in a London data center, but Google thinks we are in Dubai and G.Apps default to Arabic).

Re: Guest WiFi using a QR code

#282

Post by fmajid » Fri, Jul 15, 2022, 7:22 AM UTC

aaaaaaaaaaab wrote: post #108

josefresco wrote: post #69

This is super cool and would be awesome for situations where your guests are familiar with QR codes. But from my experience the process would go something like this: Visitor: What's your wifi password? Me: No password needed! We have a cool QR code you can scan that will auto-join you! Visitor: Oh cool, how do I use a QR code? Do I need an app? Me: Nope, just point your camera at it. Visitor: Like .. .take a picture…

I just use the automagical p20 Apple WiFi password sharing.

If you run an AirBNB you might not be there when the guest arrives.

Re: Guest WiFi using a QR code

#283

Post by dcdc123 » Wed, Jul 20, 2022, 12:06 AM UTC

bee_rider wrote: post #28

dcdc123 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

My wife and I travel together full time so we connect to a lot of new networks. Sadly the feature is so buggy it is almost useless to us. Probably one in three tries it just hangs the receiver's UI making it so they cannot cancel, enter password, etc. We avoid using it now.

Re: Guest WiFi using a QR code

#284

Post by jjkaczor » Wed, Jul 20, 2022, 11:54 AM UTC

WorldMaker wrote: post #143

jjkaczor wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aha... apparently you have met ALL of my relatives who have absolutely no understanding that they could login to the device and change the password to something better.

Some of the rental hardware no longer allow users to login as admin. Some of the ones that do the ISP landlords make a lot claims that leases/monthly fees go up if they think to try. There's a growing disparity between modem/router hardware owners and "this lease seemed like the best deal from the cable/phone company" average users.

I have "business class" service from a provider (Canada - Rogers), which came with a "Clearnet" router/wifi combo that has, LTE failover. (Cradlepoint)

And - of course it was locked for admin - well - not for long, the technican who installed it gave me the password after we chatted for awhile. Admitedly, I cannot change the PW he gave me, and at some point if they remotely update it, it will stop working.