D750 users - be sure to secure your wifi

carguy

Senior Member
The fear mongors at NikonRumors post this today: Nikon D750 uses an unsecured Wi-Fi network, anyone can download your pictures

Article: Nikon D750 uses an unsecured Wi-Fi network, anyone can download your pictures | Nikon Rumors

"We tested and confirmed this in the AP office; another smartphone user simply has to connect to the camera’s Wi-Fi network and start up the Nikon app to be able to browse and download images. The camera gives no clear indication that anything might be amiss"


Irresponsible journalism.

Page 282 of the D750 manual (below) clearly discusses how to setup a SECURE connection. This is not much different than buying a WiFi router at the store for your house.

D750 manual:
http://download3.nikonimglib.com/archive1/zTWQD00yGQnW012RcxZ15FTj6882/D750FM_DL(En)01.pdf
 

Nero

Senior Member
Normally, they're good about the quality of their articles but this is just the result of laziness. Not even bothering to check if there was a way to fix this. Some "testing" they did. -_-
 

dslater

Senior Member
IMO It's irresponsible of Nikon to not have secure WiFi configured out of the box, just like you WiFi router is these days.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
? How could they do that? The router is a host, providing wifi, and any security is provided in its menu. The camera is a client, requesting wifi (security is not its choice, but it needs to know login, to get through the routers security).
 

dslater

Senior Member
No, I just looked at the manual. The camera acts as a WiFi access point, not a client - look at page 287 - note it talks about connecting to the camera's SSID. Therefore, the camera can easily come with WPS already enabled and a preconfigured password on the box - Just like any other access point you can buy these days.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
No, I just looked at the manual. The camera acts as a WiFi access point, not a client - look at page 287 - note it talks about connecting to the camera's SSID. Therefore, the camera can easily come with WPS already enabled and a preconfigured password on the box - Just like any other access point you can buy these days.


I think calling the camera a WiFi access point is a pretty far reach. :) I don't have one, never seen one, and some hands on experience here sure would be helpful. I strongly doubt I comprehend much of it, but the camera is hardly an access point. The camera is a client.

The camera REQUIRES use of a smartphone, which it could be said to be a specialized access point. .

That smartphone ("smart device" in camera manual) REQUIRES use of the Nikon app.

D750 manual says it can use open or protected WPS (the smartphone apps choice). Nikon D750 page 282 says for PIN-Entry WPS, the camera user enters the PIN of the smart device (the access point).

Sounds the same as that any laptop can connect to any wireless router by entering the right PIN.

So it does sound like anyone else with a smart phone, and with this Nikon app, and using the same PIN, could allow the camera to connect to them. But the protocol is one way, they cannot initiate connection to the camera.
 
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dslater

Senior Member
I think calling the camera a WiFi access point is a pretty far reach. :) I don't have one, never seen one, and some hands on experience here sure would be helpful. I strongly doubt I comprehend much of it, but the camera is hardly an access point. The camera is a client.

No - read page 284 - section 2: "The Camera will wait about two minutes for a WPS connection request from the smart device." - the camera is acting as the server (access point), and the smart device is the client connecting to the camera. Indeed, this is why an unsecured network is a problem - because someone else can come in the room with another phone and connect to your your same camera.

The camera REQUIRES use of a smartphone, which it could be said to be a specialized access point. .

That smartphone ("smart device" in camera manual) REQUIRES use of the Nikon app.

Not quite. Actually, all the camera requires is the use of the Nikon App. It's the fact that Nikon has chosen not to build their app for PC's that restricts you to a smartphone. All it takes is a simple rebuild of the app for a PC, and a PC would just as happily connect to the camera.

D750 manual says it can use open or protected WPS (the smartphone apps choice). Nikon D750 page 282 says for PIN-Entry WPS, the camera user enters the PIN of the smart device (the access point).

Sounds the same as that any laptop can connect to any wireless router by entering the right PIN.

So it does sound like anyone else with a smart phone, and with this Nikon app, and using the same PIN, could allow the camera to connect to them. But the protocol is one way, they cannot initiate connection to the camera.

The exchange of the PIN is not a good indicator of who's the server and who's the client. WPS setup works both ways. Thus, if you buy a new PC, you can easily add it to your existing WiFi network by exchanging the PIN with your router. Alternatively, if you decide you want to upgrade your router, you can again exchange the PIN with your existing PC to quickly get the new router on the network. In both cases, the router is the access point (server).
The SSID on the other hand is defined by the access point ( server ). Since the camera defines the SSID you conenct to, it is acting as the server. If you're familiar with how WiFi networks are setup, it is clear from reading the connection instructions who is the server & who is the client.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
No - read page 284 - section 2: "The Camera will wait about two minutes for a WPS connection request from the smart device." - the camera is acting as the server (access point), and the smart device is the client connecting to the camera. Indeed, this is why an unsecured network is a problem - because someone else can come in the room with another phone and connect to your your same camera.

The Nikon manual might be better. Having a D750 for hands on experience would be much better. I wasn't even an expert on this until today. :)

But the manual certainly does Not mention being a WiFi access point.

Look at your page 282 again. Using the menu PushButton WPS, it says wait two minutes. This is unprotected open WPS (which the smartphone app could specify). Yes, same as on a laptop, an Open WPS host is not protected from any client connections. But the host does not connect to the client, connection only goes the other way. Host only broadcasts SSID, for the client to see and request connect (speaking in general, I have no clue what specifics this Nikon app might do. I see no reason to suspect more however).

Using the next menu down, PIN-Entry WPS, is page 285. Enter PIN is step 3 on next page. It would be required if so specified by the host (the smartphone Nikon app). So, you are both, and it can be your choice. Just like a laptop. :) There is no issue here.
 
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mrpbnm

Senior Member
I don't have any way that I can see to use WPS with my iphone 6. That is not Nikon's fault I don't think iOs 8 is capable of any type of WPS - at least from what I've read so far.




I was able to connect to my D750 with the iPhone (really not sure how I did it. I was rushing to get it done right before a shoot and finally had to give up and go). I could see photos on the camera in the app, but couldn't download them to the iPhone.


I don't have time to mess with it right now, but I'm sure that I'll get it when I have time - I'm pretty tech savvy.


With no WPS operating, The D750 was broadcasting its SSD, so anyone could connect to the network just as I did.


I guess I'll have to get an Android device if I want to use D750's wifi.
 
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