How to disable WPS on Linksys E4200

[Wild Kat]

I am trying out an experiment where I am trying to test the E4200 router to be used in the corporate environment. I tried changing the security from wps manually and set the radios to wpa2 using 63 random characters which I generated at Steve Gibson's password site. And now the router is kept in the server room and it is locked but I however want to disable the WPS. I tried by setting it to manual thinking that it would work. I found that the WPS is still enabled as someone I guess is able to access the 8 digit router pin from the label in order to get it. Is there any fault due to which I am unable to disable WPS?

[Ebadaah28]

Instead of using the WPS in order to configure all your computers and devices when you use the web GUI on the router to configure it manually, your WPS is still enabled from being used by the external devices. I already tried once to configure my router manually and then using a WPS button I was able to configure the Ethernet Bridge on the router and on the bridge.

So just make sure that if you believe that there is any such settings available through which you can disable WPS from being accessed by the external device, then remember that it’s nothing but just confirming with your router that you need to configure it manually via web interface.

[Kakashi Hatake]

Hey I guess the issue is not so huge, there is no such think called bug in it. I have already being facing this problem on the 160N and in fact it has been faced by several older WRT routers.

The only thing I did was applied some black market over the label and hide the PIN. At least this will help you to make out whether someone has tried to get the PIN from the label or not. But still even I am looking around for some solution for this silly problem.

[Zared]

Better you first upgrade the firmware of this router; I think the latest version firmware has already been released in the market. Connect your system to the Ethernet port or cable on your Linksys router, and then download the firmware.

• In the router open the setup page
• Go to administration Tab
• Upgrade the firmware
• Then you need to Power cycle the modem and router

And then again come back to the setup page of the router and now configure the settings on the router. The time when you do the wireless settings instead of selection WPS (WiFi Protected setup) you can select manual.

[Jugo]

By looking at you post it seems like updating the firmware will easily make it possible to disable the WPS, but I think this trick will be mostly possible for the home routers but not for the corporate ones.

Anyhow I am not at all worried about the physical access since my router is locked in the server room. Instead I am much worried about the possible attack that can take place on the key, and I personally believe that the 8 digit pin would be more prone to brute force attack. Now I have decided that I will install DDWRT and go on.

[Captain Samuel Salt]

Once you have been switched to manual I think you need not have to press the WPS button of the router. Pressing the WPS button doesn’t makes any sense, in fact it means that you have again enabled the WPS.
You should now try to switch to manual then change the SSID and wireless security settings. After this now you can easily set the new passphrase or else you can say password. Now try to get connect to WPS, I guess you won’t. You won’t be able to connect unless and until you enable the WPS by pressing the WPS button on the router.

[Bhuvana21]

I don’t think it works. After performing the above given suggestion how can you say that the button have not been or cannot be pressed incidentally. Till now I have been hearing that there is only one netgear router that has been possibly able to disable the PIN request but still failed because the PIN request was only disabled for few hours. Now I believe that the only proper solution for this issue will be to release an emergency patch for all the models that should have the possible option of disabling the WPS, with that make is visible in the web GUI.

[Reese-R]

My dear there is no such solution available for this bug. Neither it’s the problem of WPS, because the WPS has already been designed so. All in all they will have to change the WPS standards which in turns will take lot of time. Even if the vendors try to get their own solution they will most probably be breaking the compatibility with other models. So it’s better to avoid the WPS button from being pressed until the official people of cisco are able to get the disable issue clear in the firmware.

[Eeshwari3]

Hey friend thanks for posting this thread. I recently bought a new E4200v2 for home purpose. But still I have lots of personal things which is to be stored in the network, after finding it to be a huge I have decided to switch back to my old router. In my old one I guess I can easily and completely disable the WPS button. I will be definitely returning the E4200v2 back to Amazon.

I hope that Cisco completely drop out the idea and concept of WPS functionality in their routers. as it has already been proved as a major drawback in most of their models instead of proving out to be a good reliable advantage.