Walk into any café this week and you will see one taped to the table: a tiny square that gets you on the Wi-Fi without anyone reciting a 22-character password. They take less than a minute to make. Here is how I make mine.
What is actually inside it
It is a regular QR code that encodes one short string. The string follows a format every phone OS understands:
WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:Password;H:false;;The bits:
- T is the security type. Almost always WPA. Pick WEP for old routers, nopass for open Wi-Fi.
- S is the network name (SSID).
- P is the password.
- H is true only if the SSID is hidden.
That is the whole thing. Anything that can render a QR can render that string.
The 30-second walkthrough
- Open the QR studio.
- Click the Wi-Fi tab.
- Type your SSID and password. Leave Security on WPA unless you know better.
- Pick a colour or drop a logo if you care about brand. Skip it if you don't.
- Download the PNG. Print, stick, done.
No app to install, no account to make. Static QR codes are free here.
Where I actually put them
- Cafés: table tent or bottom of the menu.
- Airbnbs and hotels: small frame on the bedside table next to the Wi-Fi name. Saves the guest a text.
- Offices: reception desk and the back of the visitor pass.
- Events: on the badge. Conference Wi-Fi is the worst, and a QR makes it forgiveable.
One thing to think about before you print
The QR is, literally, a printed copy of your password. Fine for a coffee shop. Not fine for your corporate admin network. Use a guest VLAN with its own password if you are not sure.
If you change the password often
Static codes do not change. If you rotate the password weekly, that gets old. A workaround: print a small URL instead, and have the URL show the current password. Make the URL a dynamic QR so you can edit it later without reprinting.
Now go make yours.
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