User interaction when connecting WiFi devices to network
I spent some time recently analyzing methods for passing the WiFi parameters (network name and password) to a device, in user-friendly manner and on the cheap (that is, by using minimum extra hardware). This challenge (of selecting the WiFi and entering the network password) was already solved in many different ways, from using the remote control to select characters displayed on the TV screen (as done by Apple TV, XBox etc), to creating an ad-hoc WiFi network (as done by WiFi thermostats , Twine and others). The bottom line is that every WiFi device must somehow present the users with an interface that allows them to type in the network password. How this is solved determines the user-friendliness of the device and influences the final cost of the product as well. Here are the methods I found so far. I am sure this list will be extended and improved with details, hopefully also based on the readers' comments and feedback. 1. SD card that includes a text file with network name