Connecting a legacy wireless device to a WPS-enabled access point

A Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) enabled access point having an associated personal identification number (PIN), the WPS-enabled access point comprising:

• a connection unit operable to:
• establish a connection from a wireless network device;
• and
• an authentication unit operable to:
• transmit an identity request message to the wireless network device;
• receive an identity response message from the wireless network device, the identity response message including identification information;
• determine that the wireless network device is not WPS-enabled based, at least in part, on the identification information included in an identity response message received from the wireless network device;
• in response to the authentication unit determining that the wireless network device is not WPS-enabled, switch from a first authentication protocol used for authenticating WPS-enabled wireless network devices to a second authentication protocol used for authenticating legacy wireless network devices that are not WPS-enabled wireless network devices;
• authenticate the wireless network device in accordance with the second authentication protocol in conjunction with the PIN;
• and
• generate and provide an encryption key to the wireless network device for encryption of subsequent communications between the wireless network device and the WPS-enabled access point.

One or more machine-readable storage media, having instructions stored therein, which, when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform operations that comprise:

• establishing, at a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) enabled access point having an associated personal identification number (PIN), a connection from a wireless network device;
• transmitting, from the WPS-enabled access point, an identity request message to the wireless network device;
• receiving an identity response message from the wireless network device, the identity response message including identification information;
• determining, at the WPS-enabled access point, that the wireless network device is not WPS-enabled based, at least in part, on identification information included in an identity response message received from the wireless network device;
• in response to determining that the wireless network device is not WPS-enabled, switching from a first authentication protocol used for authenticating WPS-enabled wireless network devices to a second authentication protocol used for authenticating legacy wireless network devices that are not WPS-enabled wireless network devices;
• authenticating the wireless network device in accordance with the second authentication protocol in conjunction with the PIN;
• and
• generating and providing an encryption key to the wireless network device for encryption of subsequent communications between the wireless network device and the WPS-enabled access point.

A method performed by a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) enabled access point having an associated personal identification number (PIN), the method comprising:

• for a connection with a wireless client device:
• determining, at the WPS enabled access point based upon identification information received from the wireless client device, whether the wireless client device comprises a WPS-enabled wireless network device or a legacy wireless network device, the legacy wireless network device being one that does not support a WPS authentication protocol;
• selecting, at the WPS enabled access point, an authentication protocol for the connection, the selected authentication protocol being either the WPS authentication protocol or a legacy authentication protocol based upon whether the wireless client device comprises the WPS-enabled wireless network device or the legacy wireless network device, respectively;
• and
• authenticating the wireless client device in accordance with the selected authentication protocol in conjunction with the PIN;
• and
• generating and providing an encryption key to the wireless client device for encryption of subsequent communications between the wireless client device and the WPS enabled access point.