Comment on It's your fault my laptop knows where I am

• chaospatterns@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

  Every WiFi router and network has something called an SSID and a BSSID. The SSID is the friendly name that you use to show off your puns to your neighbors. The BSSID is a 6 byte MAC address. All devices use the BSSID when connecting and communicating.

  With a non hidden SSID, your router broadcasts the SSID and BSSID.

  The BSSID is actually is static and doesn’t change and it’s what is actually used for geo location.

  When it’s hidden, it doesn’t send the SSID out, but sends out packets with the BSSID. Clients then scream out to the void “anybody know the SSID ‘My Secret SSID??’” Then it’ll respond.

  So basically hidden networks still send out the unique identifying address and then when you take your phone with you, you’re just telling everybody what your home WiFi is called.

  Hidden SSIDs are not that useful.

  source

  • Scolding7300@lemmy.world ⁨18⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    Would’ve been cool if the APs would rotate the mac address

    source