QR Code Generator for WiFi

[domg12405965]

I would like for people who enter my business to be able to scan a qr code and automatically connect to the wifi. The InDesign QR Code generator allows for a hyperlink, but not for a wifi name/password. Does anyone know of a way to make this work?

[James Gifford—NitroPress · Accepted solution]

All you need...

https://www.nitrosyncretic.com/DPR/dpr_qrcodes.php

[domg12405965]

James, you are a gentleman and a scholar. Thank you.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Not sure about both of those, but happy to help.

The WiFi section is a bit terse. Let me know if you had any problem implementing it, or have any other feedback.

[namyp]

Do you know if it's possible to connect to a wifi and redirect to a specific web page in the same QR code? 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Not to the best of my knowledge. That would take app or OS level support to route and manage two completely different kinds of data.

If you had an app that accepted a data string composed of WiFi login info and a destination URL, it could be done — but just as even vCard data is largely gibberish unless properly parsed by a Contacts app or the like, far more depends on getting the code data to a destination that can use it than anything else.

[Dirk Becker]

Your hotspot router would need to support a "captive portal.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Yes, it very much can be done... but not via a QR code by itself. There has to be support somewhere in the reader app, a destination app or in the hardware setup of the WiFi network.

(Another case, like links and interactive features, where there has to be a platform to support the features; they can't simply be pasted on to an ID document, or a QR code, or the like.)

[JR Boulay]

On your smartphone, go to the Wi-Fi settings, clic the QRcode icon next to your network name to display the connection QRcode, make a screenshot, print it.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

You lost me, there.

My phone doesn't do anything like this — is it an iPhone thing?

And I'm not sure how it applies as a solution, since you have little control over what goes into the code string. Just using the WiFi data model seems to work fine and allows control over things like hidden SSIDs and passwords.

[JR Boulay]

It's a basic and very useful function that you'll find on all Android smartphones, but I don't know about the iPhone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uocvLHJgAM

[leo.r]

It's a basic and very useful function that you'll find on all Android smartphones, but I don't know about the iPhone.

By @JR Boulay

I'm using Android, and I don't have this function and never had.

[leo.r]

ok i see. actually i do have it on my tablet which is running a newer Android version, but not on my phone that's running an older version (whatever their names and numbers are). so it's indeed a new thing on Android.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I suspect this may be a UI function not necessarily shared by all Android implementations. Neither my Samsung phone or tablet has anything like it, even in some different location.

It's also not really a general solution; the code can easily be deciphered to retrieve the password; and I wouldn't consider this a professional solution except in sort of a pinch. But it's another interesting variant of how QR codes are implemented in the real world.

ETA: The way to share a home or office WiFi connection, IMVHO, is to create a guest network that has no access to any local resources (only to the internet), and then make a nice card with the SSID, password... and a quickie QR code on it. Every business I've done this for thinks it's wondrous (hint hint for those with clients), and all the households I visit who have WiFi + guests have such a card because I'm a nice guy. 🙂

A secondary advantage is that you can shut off the guest network when you don't have guests, to limit freeloading or hacking.