Wifi Porter takes the hassle out of letting friends or guests access your wireless network. Just tap this accessory from Ten One Design with your iPhone or Android device and the login details will be transferred. 

The hardware is attractive, and it’s certainly a unique idea. We went hands on to see how it works in real life.

Ten One Design Wifi Porter review

The Wifi Porter might not be what you think; it’s not a small Wi-Fi bridge or repeater. Instead, it transfers the details of your wireless network to the phones or tablets of visitors. Exactly how this transfer is done depends on the device.

This accessory uses NFC (Near Field Communications), a wireless standard mostly employed for digital payments. But NFC has a lot of potential for other uses — potential that Wifi Porter capitalizes on.

Table of contents:
Looks great on the wall

Ten One Design says “We make remarkable tools for remote work.” The design of the Wifi Porter is quite remarkable in its simplicity. It’s really just a block of wood with the Wi-Fi logo printed on the front but there’s just something right about it.

At 4.5 inches by 2.8 in. by 0.6 in., it’s the perfect size to hang on a wall or leave on a table. It’s large enough to easy to find without being intrusive.

The basic variant is light wood with a dark wood inlay. A fancier (and pricier) one is walnut with a stainless steel inlay. One variant or the other will look great in your rental house — which is the perfect use for it.

Putting it to use

Double-tapping this accessory with an iPhone notifies you that you need to open a web page on the phone. Do so and the name and password of your Wi-Fi network will be shown. Tap the Copy password button then go to Settings, connect to that Wi-Fi network and paste in the password. You’re ready to connect.

The web page that opens on the user’s iPhone explains all this for the benefit of users. It’s a system that should be simple enough for guests or friends to figure out with the given instructions.

And there’s a second method. This is the only option for iPad models but even simpler to use. The Wifi Porter configuration software can generate a QR code (sometimes called a 3D barcode) that contains your login details. Ten One Design built a way to display this QR code into its accessory (more on this in a bit). So getting connected just requires using the camera in the phone or tablet to scan the QR code.

If for some reason neither NFC nor QR code work, the person trying to connect isn’t out of luck. The login details get displayed next to the QR code on the back of the Wifi Porter.  That said, the configuration app gives the option of not displaying this information, which means people can only log in via NFC or QR code.

Wifi Porter is easy to see without being intrusive.Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Wifi Porter setup

Configuring a Wifi Porter is easy with the free Porter Setup application from Ten One Design. This walks you through the process of configuring the NFC function,  Just connect the iPhone to the wireless network you want your guests to use, press the Load Current Wi-Fi Network Name button, and its name and password transfer to the app. Or you can manually type in the Wi-Fi network’s name and its password. Press Continue and the information will load on the Wifi Porter.

And don’t forget to use the same app to create a QR code. This can be printed, cut out and placed on the back of the Wifi Porter hardware, along with the printed version of the Wi-Fi network name and password, just in case.

Wifi Porter final thoughts
Wifi Porter uses NFC to transfer your wireless network’s login details to smartphones.Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

This accessory seems well suited for people who have a rental house, an Airbnb space or coffee shop. Guests can see the Wi-Fi logo prominently on the Wifi Porter and use it get on the Internet.

Pricing

The basic Wifi Porter sells for $39.95, while the fancier walnut version costs $49.95.  That seems a reasonable price for people who regularly have people connect to their Wi-Fi.

Buy it from: Ten One Design

Ten One Design provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more stuff we recommend.

This classic review first ran in February 2019. It’s since been updated with new information thanks to additional support for NFC in recent iPhones.