What is Wi-Fi Provisioning?

Provisioning a Wi-Fi device is the mechanism of attaching a Wi-Fi device (STA or Station) to a given Wi-Fi network. The operation includes loading the STA with the appropriate network name (Service Set Identifier or SSID) and its security credentials.

Why is provisioning so important?

Beyond making the connection of your product and/or setting up the system, making it as easy and as simple as possible has a major impact on the professional installer or consumer. If this process is problematic or time consuming, the ripple effects can be costly. First, your installation costs increase, which in some cases can make or break the profitability of your product/solution. Second, professional installers can become disgruntled with your product and may not recommend it on the next project. Consumers have little patience and will either call and require expensive technical support and/or return the product and punish you with poor product reviews, causing you lost revenue and damaging your brand. So, developing a simple, reliable, and well tested provisioning process is imperative to the success of your product.CEL reviews four methods companies can use to provision their Wi-Fi solution.

BLE MODE PROVISIONING METHOD

  •  Leverage smart device UI & BLE

  •  Send network credentials to end-device via BLE

  •  End-device connects to AP w/SSID & Key

BLE Provisioning Method Diagram

SOFT AP MODE PROVISIONING METHOD

  •  End-device initially configured as AP & hosts web server

  •  Smart device connects to end-device & changes AP to STA & provides permanent AP credentials

  •  End-device connects to permanent AP

Soft AP Mode Provisioning Method Diagram

SIMPLE CONFIG PROVISIONING METHOD

  •  Install Android APK file

  •  Smart device connects to AP & WLAN profile is sent over the air to APP

  •  End-device listens & captures OTA profile & connects to AP (config with & without PIN options available)

Simple Config Provisioning Method Diagram

WPS PROVISIONING METHOD

  •  Push button config or PIN options

  •  Press WPS button on AP, trigger end-device WPS PBC command

  •  Enter device PIN on AP’s web site, trigger end-device WPS PIN command

WPS Provisioning Method Diagram

The SDK for the CMP4010 includes many examples that demonstrate it's wireless versatility. In this video, we use example code, and an included Android app to show how you can use Bluetooth to provision the Wi-Fi connection on your devices.