Wi-Fi Planet's Eric Griffith reports today that the Wi-Fi Alliance has certified the first products to support Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), which makes it easier for home and small office network operators to deploy secure wireless LANs.

"The setup of a WPS network is simple," Griffith writes. "Use a push button configuration (PBC) on the Wi-Fi router, or enter a 4- or 8-digit PIN code if there's no button. Each client laptop, camera, game device, phone, or what-have-you supporting WPS will come with a hard-coded PIN code. Set an initial client up to talk with the router/gateway and it becomes the master device used to enter PIN codes of other clients that want network access."

The first products to become certified for Wi-Fi Protected Setup are as follows:

• Atheros AR5006X 802.11a/b/g wireless network Adapter
• Atheros AR5002AP-2X Concurrent 802.11a and 802.11b/g Dual-band WLAN Access Point
• Broadcom BCM94704AGR 54g Dual-band Access Point Reference Design
• Buffalo AirStation Wireless-A&G High Power Access Point WHR-HP-AMPGV
• Buffalo AirStation Wireless-A&G High Power Notebook Adapter STA: WLI-CB-AMG54
• Conexant CX94515 ADSL2+ Gateway
• Intel PROSet/Wireless Software Version 11.1
• Marvell 802.11a/b/g Wireless USB Client
• Marvell TopDog Draft 802.11n Access Point
• Ralink Technology RT5201U (802.11a/b/g USB) / Packet Overdrive

More here from the AP's Bruce Meyerson, and the Wi-Fi Alliance's press release is here.