WiFi Passpoint: what is it and what is this Hotspot solution for?

When users connect to a public Wi-Fi access point, we usually have to authenticate ourselves in some way, be it through a generated code, with Facebook Wi-Fi and even with our email or phone number. If we move with our mobile devices and change the access point (AP), it is very possible that we will have to authenticate again.

Wi-Fi Passpoint is the solution to eliminate the need for users to have to authenticate each time they connect to the AP. Do you want to know all the details about this solution that is already available in the main professional APs?

WiFi Passpoint

Main features of Wi-Fi Passpoint

The Wi-Fi Alliance is beginning to certify the new APs that manufacturers have launched , one of the most important certifications is the so-called Wi-Fi Passpoint.

This solution is based on the Hotspot 2.0 protocol that we have been using for several years, but now it has been standardized so that all APs integrate it exactly the same.

Wi-Fi Passpoint allows users to streamline the authentication process at access points, and eliminate having to authenticate each time we change the access point with our smartphone.

Wi-Fi Passpoint is one of the fundamental requirements to be able to participate in the WiFi4EU program , the aid program of the European Union to provide our small municipality with Wi-Fi coverage in all places.

In Wi-Fi wireless networks that do not support Wi-Fi Passpoint, users must search for and choose the wireless network, connect, and authenticate with the credentials , and this on each visit we make, or if we change the Wi access point -Fi. Wi-Fi Passpoint is in charge of automating the entire process, so users simply have to authenticate once, and then they can access the Wi-Fi wireless network again.

Wi-Fi Passpoint has some very interesting features for users of smartphones and tablets, now we can discover the networks and select them automatically, registration is greatly simplified and we can log in almost instantly.

Another very important feature is that we will have access to the network in a transparent way and with Wi-Fi roaming between Hotspots , this means that, if we authenticate ourselves in a certain AP, we can move around the area and change the access point without the need to re -authenticate ourselves in the new AP, since the credentials are preserved and we will have Wi-Fi roaming in a totally transparent way to the user, and without cut in the wireless connection. Of course, Wi-Fi Passpoint supports WPA2-Enterprise networks and also the new WPA3 wireless security protocol.

Currently a large number of professional Wi-Fi access points support this feature, in addition, the main operating systems for smartphones such as Android and iOS support it , as well as Windows 10 and also macOS . Wi-Fi Passpoint also has benefits for mobile operators, and is that if you have deployed Wi-Fi access points, users could use the Wi-Fi network instead of 3G / 4G / 5G, in addition, they could be carried out Wi-Fi roaming agreements between different ISPs, Wi-Fi calls instead of using traditional telephony and much more.

Wi-Fi Passpoint is adding new features to simplify deployments by the operator, while being able to provide Wi-Fi security and roaming, for an excellent user experience. Some of the features that the Wi-Fi Alliance is going to introduce are the following:

  • Simplified registration, to use a common provisioning methodology among AP manufacturers using a single SSID.
  • Place-specific information: This feature allows a device to obtain relevant local information about a certain place.
  • Extended business security: it will be compatible with WPA3 Enterprise to have a strong level of authentication and data encryption.
  • Specific policies for the operator: it provides a simplified solution for accepting terms and conditions when we are in public areas.

Some of the access points that support Wi-Fi Passpoint are the D-Link DAP-2662 and also the D-Link DAP-3666 . In this article we have a complete analysis of the D-Link DAP-3666 where you can find in detail everything about this WiFi4EU certified outdoor AP.