7 ms·

Print off a QR code for guests to join your WiFi network

swozey 3y ago
This is awesome, I've always been to lazy to set this up and regret it every time someone is over and I have to tell them my wifi password is tacokissies456
- exe34 3y ago
  I got a sticky NFC tag from eBay and programmed it with my phone. I ask visitors to tap their phone on it if they want WiFi.
  - swozey 3y ago
    Is NFC ubiquitous now? Every phone has it? I used to use it for stuff when I used android like changing the phones mode when I got in my car before I could do it when connected to my cars bluetooth etc but I thought most phones didn't have it or were removing it a few years ago. I'm iphone 13 pro now no idea.
    - jsheard 3y ago
      It's pretty ubiquitous ever since GooglePay/ApplePay took off and gave most people a reason to want it, at least in markets where those systems operate. I have noticed that grey-market imports of Android phones are sometimes missing NFC support when the domestic version has it though, so it does depend on where you are.
    - exe34 3y ago
      I don't have many friends, so it hasn't been a problem so far. I did write the information on the tag as well to avoid me having to dig it out for people without nfc.
- noptd 3y ago
  I typically chose passwords that are long, easy to remember sentences (no caps or spaces). Generic example: millionsandmillionsofpeopleliveinthiscity Easy to share aloud, but long enough to protect against being brute-forced.
  - michaelbarton 3y ago
    I prefer: thewifipasswordisonthefridgenospaces
    - adt 3y ago
      This sounds like an Abbott and Costello (or Monty Python) [or Arrested Development] sketch. then the word 'no spaces' but actually also no spaces. no, it's not on the fridge. type 'the wifi password is on the fridge' and then...
BobaFloutist 3y ago
> Should you trust this tool with your WiFi password? > Of course not! You shouldn't trust anything on the internet ever — but if it > makes you feel better, I promise none of the information you enter on this page > is saved anywhere. I saw a theory on Reddit that you could safely use a tool like this by disconnecting from your internet before entering the information, then reconnecting after saving the QR code and having deleted it (thereby theoretically preventing your information from ever being sent to the website). That sounds plausible, and the tool does seem to work while offline, but I don't have the expertise to confidently state that this would 100% protect you. Anyone want to chime in with how hard this would make it for them to harvest your data (if they wanted to, which I'm inclined to believe they don't, but just in terms of best practices)?
- pockybum522 3y ago
  If you're actually concerned about your data, find an offline QR generator. Encoding a WiFi network is just adding some extra plaintext to a normal QR code. One explanation is here: https://pocketables.com/2022/01/how-to-format-that-wifi-qr-code-in-plain-text.html https://pocketables.com/2022/01/how-to-format-that-wifi-qr-c...
  - eastbound 3y ago
    The irony it’s your infinitely better protected using a webpage in Incognito with network disconnected, than downloading an offline generator and running the binary on your computer.
    - rpdillon 3y ago
      Depends a lot on context. Generally I agree, but for this particular use case, I use QR Scanner from SECUSO. It's available on F-Droid, and I think it's a very good tool for the offline generation use-case. Android-only though, of course. https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.secuso.privacyFriendlyCodeScanner/ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.secuso.privacyFriendlyCo...
jiveturkey 3y ago
What is this, the stone ages? NFC tag is the way. https://lifehacker.com/do-this-to-seamlessly-connect-guests-to-your-wifi-1849808406 https://lifehacker.com/do-this-to-seamlessly-connect-guests-...
- deely3 3y ago
  Only stone age people don't have bunch of NFC tags around, use smartphone without NFC, and have guests with phones without NFC?
- ezconnect 3y ago
  If you don't have data plan with a smartphone you are definitely in the stone age.
  - loloquwowndueo 3y ago
    Or travelling to another country. Roaming is expensive as f*ck particularly outside Europe or Asia.
- itslennysfault 3y ago
  NFC I have to touch with my phone. A QR code I can scan from across the room. Sounds like a step backward to me (on ease of use, not security obviously).
hprotagonist 3y ago
the little DSL format looks like this: WIFI:S:NETWORK-NAME;T:WEP;P:NETWORK-PASSWORD;H:false;; and i use the python tool `qr` to generate one: https://pypi.org/project/qrcode/ https://pypi.org/project/qrcode/
- mechanicalpulse 3y ago
  The key/value pairs after the "WIFI:" prefix are as follows: S - the SSID P - the password T - the encryption type (WEP, WPA, or blank) H - whether or not it's a hidden network The only required pair is "S"; all other pairs are optional and may be omitted if desired.
  - 0cf8612b2e1e 3y ago
    Is this format specified somewhere? How do you escape the separation characters if used in one of the keys?
    - hprotagonist 3y ago
      the closest i have found is https://pocketables.com/2022/01/how-to-format-that-wifi-qr-code-in-plain-text.html https://pocketables.com/2022/01/how-to-format-that-wifi-qr-c...
fluxflexer 3y ago
Beware of "online QR code services", all of them insert some spam redirectons in the QR code. After trying a dozen founds from Google, I finally found a decent one from a german university.
- DitheringIdiot 3y ago
  I made this one so I'm pretty sure it doesn't do that — but you just got me thinking of all the QR codes on tombstones and inked into people's skin that probably redirect to a pay day loan website or something.
  - CharlesW 3y ago
    Related: "Quishing", or phishing via QR code attacks: https://www.isaca.org/resources/news-and-trends/industry-news/2023/quishing-the-invisible-threat-in-qr-code-technology#:~:text=In%20a%20typical%20quishing%20attack,data%20breaches%20and%20financial%20losses https://www.isaca.org/resources/news-and-trends/industry-new....
- kccqzy 3y ago
  The trick is to use whatever that is built into the system you are using. On iOS I use the Shortcuts app to create an action to generate QR codes. On desktop I just use Chrome's built-in QR code generator right from the address bar. Assuming you already trust your OS and your browser, this means you do not need to trust any additional party for this simple task.
koins 3y ago
If you really want to overengineer things, take a look at https://kmanc.github.io/be_my_guest/ https://kmanc.github.io/be_my_guest/! I only put in the effort to make this work for my own networking gear, but it could be pretty easily extended to work on other hardware :)
partiallypro 3y ago
Android gives you a QR code to share the network. Realistically you could just screenshot that, crop and print it out. Not have to rely on a third party QR service you aren't sure about.
- mjevans 3y ago
  I emailed that very screenshot to a sibling after connecting to their network the hard way.
graemep 3y ago
My Frtzbox router will generate QR codes so I can just pint those. You could also save the QR code from Android device as an image and them print it. The same from a KDE desktop with the additional step of a screenshot of the active Window.
itslennysfault 3y ago
FYI this is a builtin feature on Android (maybe iPhone too?). On Android, go to "network details" for a wifi that you're logged into and click the "share" button and it will create a QR code for logging in.
- HnUser12 3y ago
  iPhones don’t :(
  - xutopia 3y ago
    iPhones share with contacts if you bring phones close to one another. No need for QR code.
    - iamtedd 3y ago
      What if the guest has an Android phone?
      - dhosek 3y ago
        As an iPhone owner, I just don’t allow Android people into my home.
        cookie_monsta 3y ago
        Where will the blue bubblism end?
      - itslennysfault 3y ago
        We ask them politely yet firmly to leave[1] 1. https://youtu.be/42GaHU4txpc https://youtu.be/42GaHU4txpc
    - itslennysfault 3y ago
      Android's share does both. Enables NFC sharing and shows a QR code. Don't worry, I'm sure iPhone will catch up in a few years. :-)
lostmsu 3y ago
https://openwireless.org https://openwireless.org (supported by EFF)
butz 3y ago
Printing? In this day and age? Probably time for a weekend project with e-ink display which displays current guest wi-fi password. Or a simple LED matrix would be cheaper to build? As a bonus password is rotated on a daily basis.
- mo_42 3y ago
  This sounds a bit over-engineered. Wifi passwords change rarely so I think it’s totally acceptable to print a page every now and then.
trashtestcrash 3y ago
I love the simplicity of the blog layout - is this open source I'd love to setup my blog to look similar!
m-p-3 3y ago
I reused a small CD jewel case to store the guest network WiFi QR code on the coffee table, and I also included a NFC tag with the same info that you can tap under the QR code, with a small NFC symbol carved out in the middle of the QR code (thanks to the error correction mecanism) to indicate the possibility.
felurx 3y ago
What a delightful site! I really enjoy the writing style, and it does have a few nice tips. Kinda reminds me of that "list of things you didn't know you could do" (or something like that) that was shared here a while ago.

This is awesome, I've always been to lazy to set this up and regret it every time someone is over and I have to tell them my wifi password is tacokissies456

exe34 3y ago
I got a sticky NFC tag from eBay and programmed it with my phone. I ask visitors to tap their phone on it if they want WiFi.
- swozey 3y ago
  Is NFC ubiquitous now? Every phone has it? I used to use it for stuff when I used android like changing the phones mode when I got in my car before I could do it when connected to my cars bluetooth etc but I thought most phones didn't have it or were removing it a few years ago. I'm iphone 13 pro now no idea.
  - jsheard 3y ago
    It's pretty ubiquitous ever since GooglePay/ApplePay took off and gave most people a reason to want it, at least in markets where those systems operate. I have noticed that grey-market imports of Android phones are sometimes missing NFC support when the domestic version has it though, so it does depend on where you are.
  - exe34 3y ago
    I don't have many friends, so it hasn't been a problem so far. I did write the information on the tag as well to avoid me having to dig it out for people without nfc.
noptd 3y ago
I typically chose passwords that are long, easy to remember sentences (no caps or spaces). Generic example: millionsandmillionsofpeopleliveinthiscity Easy to share aloud, but long enough to protect against being brute-forced.
- michaelbarton 3y ago
  I prefer: thewifipasswordisonthefridgenospaces
  - adt 3y ago
    This sounds like an Abbott and Costello (or Monty Python) [or Arrested Development] sketch. then the word 'no spaces' but actually also no spaces. no, it's not on the fridge. type 'the wifi password is on the fridge' and then...

BobaFloutist 3y ago

> Should you trust this tool with your WiFi password? > Of course not! You shouldn't trust anything on the internet ever — but if it > makes you feel better, I promise none of the information you enter on this page > is saved anywhere. I saw a theory on Reddit that you could safely use a tool like this by disconnecting from your internet before entering the information, then reconnecting after saving the QR code and having deleted it (thereby theoretically preventing your information from ever being sent to the website). That sounds plausible, and the tool does seem to work while offline, but I don't have the expertise to confidently state that this would 100% protect you. Anyone want to chime in with how hard this would make it for them to harvest your data (if they wanted to, which I'm inclined to believe they don't, but just in terms of best practices)?

pockybum522 3y ago
If you're actually concerned about your data, find an offline QR generator. Encoding a WiFi network is just adding some extra plaintext to a normal QR code. One explanation is here: https://pocketables.com/2022/01/how-to-format-that-wifi-qr-code-in-plain-text.html https://pocketables.com/2022/01/how-to-format-that-wifi-qr-c...
- eastbound 3y ago
  The irony it’s your infinitely better protected using a webpage in Incognito with network disconnected, than downloading an offline generator and running the binary on your computer.
  - rpdillon 3y ago
    Depends a lot on context. Generally I agree, but for this particular use case, I use QR Scanner from SECUSO. It's available on F-Droid, and I think it's a very good tool for the offline generation use-case. Android-only though, of course. https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.secuso.privacyFriendlyCodeScanner/ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.secuso.privacyFriendlyCo...

jiveturkey 3y ago

What is this, the stone ages? NFC tag is the way. https://lifehacker.com/do-this-to-seamlessly-connect-guests-to-your-wifi-1849808406 https://lifehacker.com/do-this-to-seamlessly-connect-guests-...

deely3 3y ago
Only stone age people don't have bunch of NFC tags around, use smartphone without NFC, and have guests with phones without NFC?
ezconnect 3y ago
If you don't have data plan with a smartphone you are definitely in the stone age.
- loloquwowndueo 3y ago
  Or travelling to another country. Roaming is expensive as f*ck particularly outside Europe or Asia.
itslennysfault 3y ago
NFC I have to touch with my phone. A QR code I can scan from across the room. Sounds like a step backward to me (on ease of use, not security obviously).

hprotagonist 3y ago

the little DSL format looks like this: WIFI:S:NETWORK-NAME;T:WEP;P:NETWORK-PASSWORD;H:false;; and i use the python tool `qr` to generate one: https://pypi.org/project/qrcode/ https://pypi.org/project/qrcode/

mechanicalpulse 3y ago
The key/value pairs after the "WIFI:" prefix are as follows: S - the SSID P - the password T - the encryption type (WEP, WPA, or blank) H - whether or not it's a hidden network The only required pair is "S"; all other pairs are optional and may be omitted if desired.
- 0cf8612b2e1e 3y ago
  Is this format specified somewhere? How do you escape the separation characters if used in one of the keys?
  - hprotagonist 3y ago
    the closest i have found is https://pocketables.com/2022/01/how-to-format-that-wifi-qr-code-in-plain-text.html https://pocketables.com/2022/01/how-to-format-that-wifi-qr-c...

fluxflexer 3y ago

Beware of "online QR code services", all of them insert some spam redirectons in the QR code. After trying a dozen founds from Google, I finally found a decent one from a german university.

DitheringIdiot 3y ago
I made this one so I'm pretty sure it doesn't do that — but you just got me thinking of all the QR codes on tombstones and inked into people's skin that probably redirect to a pay day loan website or something.
- CharlesW 3y ago
  Related: "Quishing", or phishing via QR code attacks: https://www.isaca.org/resources/news-and-trends/industry-news/2023/quishing-the-invisible-threat-in-qr-code-technology#:~:text=In%20a%20typical%20quishing%20attack,data%20breaches%20and%20financial%20losses https://www.isaca.org/resources/news-and-trends/industry-new....
kccqzy 3y ago
The trick is to use whatever that is built into the system you are using. On iOS I use the Shortcuts app to create an action to generate QR codes. On desktop I just use Chrome's built-in QR code generator right from the address bar. Assuming you already trust your OS and your browser, this means you do not need to trust any additional party for this simple task.

koins 3y ago

If you really want to overengineer things, take a look at https://kmanc.github.io/be_my_guest/ https://kmanc.github.io/be_my_guest/! I only put in the effort to make this work for my own networking gear, but it could be pretty easily extended to work on other hardware :)

partiallypro 3y ago

Android gives you a QR code to share the network. Realistically you could just screenshot that, crop and print it out. Not have to rely on a third party QR service you aren't sure about.

mjevans 3y ago
I emailed that very screenshot to a sibling after connecting to their network the hard way.

graemep 3y ago

My Frtzbox router will generate QR codes so I can just pint those. You could also save the QR code from Android device as an image and them print it. The same from a KDE desktop with the additional step of a screenshot of the active Window.

itslennysfault 3y ago

FYI this is a builtin feature on Android (maybe iPhone too?). On Android, go to "network details" for a wifi that you're logged into and click the "share" button and it will create a QR code for logging in.

HnUser12 3y ago
iPhones don’t :(
- xutopia 3y ago
  iPhones share with contacts if you bring phones close to one another. No need for QR code.
  - iamtedd 3y ago
    What if the guest has an Android phone?
    - dhosek 3y ago
      As an iPhone owner, I just don’t allow Android people into my home.
      - cookie_monsta 3y ago
        Where will the blue bubblism end?
    - itslennysfault 3y ago
      We ask them politely yet firmly to leave[1] 1. https://youtu.be/42GaHU4txpc https://youtu.be/42GaHU4txpc
  - itslennysfault 3y ago
    Android's share does both. Enables NFC sharing and shows a QR code. Don't worry, I'm sure iPhone will catch up in a few years. :-)

lostmsu 3y ago

https://openwireless.org https://openwireless.org (supported by EFF)

butz 3y ago

Printing? In this day and age? Probably time for a weekend project with e-ink display which displays current guest wi-fi password. Or a simple LED matrix would be cheaper to build? As a bonus password is rotated on a daily basis.

mo_42 3y ago
This sounds a bit over-engineered. Wifi passwords change rarely so I think it’s totally acceptable to print a page every now and then.

trashtestcrash 3y ago

I love the simplicity of the blog layout - is this open source I'd love to setup my blog to look similar!

m-p-3 3y ago

I reused a small CD jewel case to store the guest network WiFi QR code on the coffee table, and I also included a NFC tag with the same info that you can tap under the QR code, with a small NFC symbol carved out in the middle of the QR code (thanks to the error correction mecanism) to indicate the possibility.

felurx 3y ago

What a delightful site! I really enjoy the writing style, and it does have a few nice tips. Kinda reminds me of that "list of things you didn't know you could do" (or something like that) that was shared here a while ago.