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For most home networks, leave Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) turned off unless you need it to connect a compatible device. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recommends disabling WPS as part of router security hardening. If you do use WPS and your router offers both methods, TP-Link’s guidance favors push-button setup over PIN entry. Exact options vary by router model and firmware.
What WPS does
WPS is a convenience feature for connecting compatible devices to Wi-Fi without typing the network password. Depending on the router and device, setup may use a physical or on-screen push button, or a PIN. It can be helpful for equipment that is awkward to configure manually, such as a printer, but both devices need to support the same method. TP-Link describes WPS setup methods, and its Archer A9 V6 user guide documents a model-specific configuration.
How to weigh the convenience against the risk
Leaving WPS off
CISA’s router-hardening guidance says: “Turn off Wi-Fi protected setup (WPS), enforce the use of strong passwords, keep router firmware up-to-date.” This is broad defensive advice; it does not quantify the risk for every home router. If you do not need WPS, turning it off avoids keeping an unnecessary connection method available. CISA’s incident alert gives the recommendation in the context of wider router security practices.
Using push-button or PIN
Push-button and PIN setup are not equivalent choices. TP-Link’s manufacturer guidance describes push-button setup as the lower-risk method and identifies a known weakness in the PIN method. That guidance is not proof that every push-button implementation is risk-free, nor that every router’s WPS is exploitable. If WPS is needed and the router supports both options, prefer push-button; turn WPS off again afterward if the router lets you.
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Why model and software matter
WPS vulnerabilities can be specific to particular components and software versions. For example, the National Vulnerability Database’s record for CVE-2021-37584 describes WPS mishandling in specified MediaTek chipsets and software version 7.4.0.0, including devices used in NETGEAR products through 2021-11-11. The record does not establish that all routers or WPS implementations are affected. Check the exact router model, chipset and software version against the manufacturer’s patch advice before concluding that this issue applies to your equipment.
How to check and change your router’s WPS setting
- Identify the router and firmware. Find the exact model and firmware information on the router label, in its administration interface, or in your internet provider’s equipment details. Do not assume a WPS button or menu works the same way on every model.
- Open the model’s official guide or support page. Search it for “WPS” and confirm whether the router exposes an enable/disable control and which setup methods it supports.
- Change the setting if WPS is not needed. For the TP-Link Archer A9 V6, the user guide places the control at System Tools > System Parameters > WPS, where WPS can be enabled or disabled. This path applies to that model and guide, not to routers generally.
- If a device needs WPS, choose the available safer method. When both PIN and push-button are offered, TP-Link advises using push-button. Disable WPS afterward if your router provides that option.
- Ask the router maker or internet provider if there is no usable control. Menus and capabilities differ. Whether to replace equipment depends on its overall support and security, not just on the presence of WPS.
WPS is only one part of router security
Turning WPS off does not replace a strong Wi-Fi password or current router firmware. NIST’s 2024 report on consumer-grade router cybersecurity frames protection around data and network integrity and availability; it provides broader context for securing a router, rather than a WPS-specific recommendation. Read NISTIR 8425A for that wider security framework.
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