What it means
Wi-Fi Protected Setup is a method for joining supported devices to a wireless network, commonly by pressing a router button or entering a WPS PIN. It operates alongside the ordinary Wi-Fi password and is not itself the WPA2 or WPA3 encryption standard.
A real-world example
A printer uses the WPS button during setup. Months later, the household still uses the same Wi-Fi password, but WPS remains available in the router settings. Disabling it closes an unused enrollment route without disabling normal password-based Wi-Fi.
What to do
Check the router's WPS setting and turn it off when no longer required. Test one device's ordinary password-based connection and use manual enrollment for new devices.
The distinction that matters
Changing the Wi-Fi password and turning off WPS are different actions. CISA recommends disabling WPS in router hardening; vendor documentation explains the button and PIN methods.
CISA hardening guidance ASUS method description
