Does turning off WPS disconnect devices already on my network?

No. WPS is only used during the initial pairing, not for staying connected. Devices already joined keep their connection and keep working normally after you turn WPS off.

Can I use WPS for just one device and then turn it off?

Yes, and that's the safest way to use it. Press the button, let the one device join within the short window the router gives you, then go back into the admin page and disable WPS again.

Why does my new router not have a WPS button at all?

Some manufacturers have started shipping routers without a physical WPS button, or with WPS off by default, specifically because of the PIN-registrar weakness. If yours doesn't have one, pairing devices by typing the password is the only option, which is also the more secure one.

What the WPS button on your router does, and whether it's safe to use

TL;DRWPS lets a device join WiFi by pressing a button instead of typing the password. The PIN-entry method has a known brute-force flaw, so turn it off.

Short answer: WPS lets a device join your WiFi by pressing a button on the router instead of typing the password. The button-press method is reasonably safe since it needs someone physically at the router. The PIN-entry method is the risky one: its 8-digit code can be brute-forced in hours on many routers, so turn that off even if you leave the button enabled.

What WPS actually connects

WPS stands for WiFi Protected Setup. Press the button on the router (or hold the one on a printer, camera, or smart speaker), and the two devices swap the network name and password automatically over a short window, usually around two minutes. No typing, no app, no QR code needed. It exists because some devices, like printers and older smart-home gear, have no keyboard and a painful way to enter a long password.

There’s a second way to trigger WPS that doesn’t need physical access to the router: an 8-digit PIN, either printed on the router’s label or entered from a connecting device. That PIN is where the security problem lives.

The PIN attack that makes it risky

WPS validates the 8-digit PIN in two halves instead of one block. The router checks the first four digits, then separately checks the last four. That design mistake shrinks the real search space from 100,000,000 possible PINs down to about 11,000 guesses, since an attacker learns from each failed half-attempt whether they’re on the right track.

Tools built for exactly this (Reaver is the well-known one) can run through that reduced guess space against a router within WiFi range, often finishing in a few hours if the router doesn’t lock out repeated failures. Once the PIN is cracked, the attacker has your WiFi password, no physical access or guessing your actual password required. This is a documented, well-understood flaw in the WPS PIN method itself, not a bug in one brand’s firmware.

Push-button WPS is a different story

The button-press version doesn’t have this weakness. It requires someone to physically press a button on the router during the same short window the connecting device is trying to join, so a remote attacker can’t trigger it from outside WiFi range, and the pairing window closes on its own after a couple of minutes. If your router lets you separately disable the PIN method while keeping the button, that’s a reasonable middle ground.

Not every router offers that split. Many just have a single WPS on/off switch that covers both methods, which is why the simplest fix is also the most common piece of advice: if you don’t need WPS day to day, turn it off entirely.

Should you turn it off

For most networks, yes. WPS exists to make onboarding easier for a handful of device types, and most people set up their network once and rarely add new hardware afterward. If a strong password is already saved on your phone and laptop, there’s little WPS does for you that a WiFi QR code doesn’t do more safely for a guest.

To turn it off:

Log into your router’s admin page. If you need the address or the login, see how to log into your router.
Look for a section called WPS, WiFi Protected Setup, or sometimes tucked under Wireless Security.
Switch WPS off. If your router separates the PIN method from the push-button method, turn off PIN specifically and you can leave the button on for occasional use.

If you can’t find the setting, check the router login directory for your model, and if the admin page is still using a factory login, the default password by brand covers where to find it. Also worth checking while you’re in there: whether your network is running WPA2 or WPA3, since that setting matters more for day-to-day security than WPS ever will.

The one time to keep it on

If you regularly add devices with no screen or keyboard, like a new printer, a smart bulb, or a security camera, push-button WPS saves a real amount of hassle. Leave the button enabled, make sure PIN entry is off if your router allows that split, and treat the WPS button the way you’d treat a spare house key: fine to have, just don’t leave it out where anyone passing by can use it.