What is Passpoint WiFi & How it Works: Things You Shouldn’t Miss

Passpoint WiFi is simply a protocol launched and governed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to secure Wi-Fi hotspots and networks. It appeared first in 2012, and it’s been a decade since it’s in the industry. Hence, we expect that it has evolved to a great extent. Additionally, most Wi-Fi users are unaware of what is Passpoint WiFi & how it works.

Have you heard of Passpoint Wi-Fi or Hotspot 2.0? Hotspot 2.0 is a more common term used to address Passpoint Wi-Fi.

Passpoint Wi-Fi streamlines your wireless connectivity. Due to its presence worldwide, your devices get automatically authenticated to a previously used network or hotspot.

Let’s get to the details of what is Passpoint WiFi & how it works.

Passpoint Wi-Fi: What is it?

How can you access your home network when you are leaving for work or anything? You simply connect your tablet or similar device to your smartphone’s mobile data. And, that’s why you have to enable its mobile hotspot.

Now, every time you connect the tablet or any other device on your mobile hotspot, you need not provide the security key.

Here the concept of Passpoint Wi-Fi comes into play. With Passpoint Wi-Fi, your devices can get connected, and you need not authenticate them again and again.

You might be thinking about why you should authenticate them time and again. After all, they are the same devices, and you have connected them before.

But, it doesn’t work that way. And, that’s why you should go through what is Passpoint WiFi & how it works. You have to travel past different cell towers on your way. As soon as you change the coverage area of a single cell tower, your device will have asked for authentication credentials.

Yet, you don’t have to provide authentication credentials every time you encounter a cell tower. Or, you want to connect your device to your mobile hotspot. Because Passpoints help connectivity jump from one hotspot to another. So, you can stay easily connected even though the devices are routed from one access point to another.

What are the Features of Passpoint WiFi?

Undoubtedly, Passpoint Wi-Fi is a revolutionary technology that keeps all our hotspot connections secure and connected. Most enterprise-class Access Points in the market support the Passpoint Wi-Fi protocol.

Be it Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, or any equivalent operating system supports Passpoint Wi-Fi and its features. Let’s have a look at what Passpoint Wi-Fi offers:

• Easy online sign-up and immediate account provisioning
• Automated network discovery and selecting the right network
• Compatible with WPA3 security protocol
• Sticking to the right network even though roaming among hotspots
• Enables data offload
• Comes with Wi-Fi roaming agreements across service providers and carriers
• Wi-Fi-based services can be accessed, such as Wi-Fi calling
• Enterprise-relevant device provisioning along with credential management for private and enterprise networks

What is Passpoint & How it Works?

Participants have to agree to the norms of Passpoint Wi-Fi. Otherwise, it won’t work properly and your devices will face issues while discovering and connecting to mobile hotspots. You know what Passpoint Wi-Fi is and have an understanding of how it works.

To elaborate its mechanism, Passpoint Wi-Fi is active throughout the region in which carriers and service providers agree to abide by the protocol. Your device can automatically detect and connect to the access point it is paired up with. The transition from one SSID to another SID might go unnoticed but the changes are abrupt and seamless.

Therefore, organisations should sign up for the Passpoint Wi-Fi protocol to get networks Passpoint certified. Passpoint adheres to the protocol named IEEE 802.11u-2016 and it’s an extended version of IEEE 802.1x.

To date, Passpoint Wi-Fi has been updated twice. Therefore, there are three Passpoint types available – They are Passpoint r1, Passpoint r2, and Passpoint r3. The first one equips all the general features of Hotspot 2.0.

Passport r2 improves the experience of the protocol and adds OSU to existing features. Whereas the latest updated Passpoint version comes with the addition of support for SSID, OSU, and a few new ANQP elements.

Passpoint WiFi-Supported Platforms

The addition of the Passpoint Wi-Fi protocol to every OEM, MNNO, OS, and MSO platform took a while. Additionally, Passpoint is discoverable in both non-SIM and SIM Wi-Fi devices.

Does your Android device have the Passpoint Wi-Fi option? Go to the Advanced option under the Wi-Fi menu, and there you might observe Passpoint or Hotspot 2.0.

You can turn this on or off according to your preferences. However, the same protocol is available for Windows 10, iOS, and macOS. Moreover, all the leading routers, smartphones, tablets, televisions, and similar devices come with Passpoint WiFi access.

Apart from the query ‘What is Passpoint WiFi & how it works’, you might be wondering which Passpoint version is the best for you. You should go for Passpoint r2 instead of Passpoint r1. It will be best if you select Passpoint r3.

However, the Wi-Fi Alliance released it in May 2019, and your OEM device might not be compatible with it. That’s why we recommend Passpoint r2.

How Secure is Passpoint WiFi?

Data branching through mobile hotspots is not an uncommon incident. That’s why you should consider the powerful and secure Passpoint r3 or Passpoint r2 version. The latest Passpoint r3 version supports the WPA3 security protocol. Hence, it should be the ultimate choice for any user.

In addition to this, you should use a strong VPN service and it’s recommended by experts. The presence of a VPN helps you stand out from the crowd while accessing the internet through mobile hotspots.

Conclusion

Passpoint Wi-Fi saves on data usage, and with 5G emergence, it can prove its potential to its greatest. Switching between mobile data and Wi-Fi networks becomes mess-free, and the credit goes to Passpoint Wi-Fi.

5G is going to roll out sooner, and Passpoint will continue serving you in high-density areas. Undoubtedly, your network experience will be smoother with 5G and PAsspoint Wi-Fi.