Providing a user-friendly, secure process for connecting Wi-Fi® devices to a network is essential for the continued growth and penetration of Wi-Fi technology. This is especially true for market segments such as smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) that include devices with limited or no interface. Configuring a Wi-Fi device to connect to a network requires the device to be given network information and security credentials. Adding devices with little or no user interface to a network can be cumbersome and is dependent upon vendor implementation. Using a standardized, simple method to configure Wi-Fi devices gives users more choice in selecting products from different vendors and provides a harmonized user experience across the ecosystem.
Wi-Fi Alliance® has created Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Easy Connect™ to simplify the process for adding devices—including those with little or no user interface—to a Wi-Fi network. Wi-Fi Easy Connect™ establishes a standardized mechanism for configuring Wi-Fi devices with greater simplicity, making setup as effortless as scanning a product’s quick response (QR) code, or touch using near field communication (NFC) tag to enable use on a Wi-Fi network.
Wi-Fi Easy Connect is an asset to the Wi-Fi Alliance portfolio, bringing new mechanisms that enable easy network setup and provisioning of client devices, while providing a better user experience, enhanced security, and support for IoT device provisioning.
This document provides an overview of the Wi-Fi Easy Connect program and key components of the technology. Further details may be found in the Wi-Fi Alliance Wi-Fi Easy Connect Specification.