Need SSID help?

What is SSID?

Once your computer sees the SSID, it can "say hello" to the router..."

SSID is an acronym that often comes up when discussing wireless networks. SSID is simply a term used to describe one of the technologies that go into setting up a wireless network. If you have a laptop in your house or if you have a second computer that is quite a distance from your current one and you don't want to run a long network cable to it, you can set up a wireless network so that all the computers can talk to one another and share one internet connection.

When you set up the wireless portion of the network, you need to identify the wireless base station by giving it a name, much like a radio station has its call letters. These call letters are known as its Service Set Identifier or SSID. The wireless base station, usually called a wireless router, broadcasts the SSID so that other computers that have a wireless device in them can start to make a connection. Once your computer sees the SSID, it can "say hello" to the router and, if you have some kind of wireless security turned on, start the process of sending the security signals back and forth. When all the security has been verified, the computer can start sharing the internet connection and see the other computers connected to the router.

If you don't know the SSID of a router, you generally can't connect to it. Hackers have a way around this but without special software tools, SSIDs that are hidden can't be seen. If, however, an SSID is not hidden and wireless security is not turned on, anyone within range of the router can connect to it. The SSID is broadcast to everyone within range and all it takes is selecting the router from a list of SSIDs that shows up in Windows and you're connected. Hiding the SSID is not great security though; a dedicated hacker will find it quite easily.

How can I set up my wireless network to be secure?

There's no easy answer to this as many manufacturers of wireless devices go about the setup very differently. There are a few main things to look for though.

  • WEP: Wired Equivalent Privacy is the simplest form of security for your wireless network. It does a good job but be forewarned - it has been hacked. It is possible for a dedicated hacker to figure out the router's WEP password.
  • WPA: Wi-Fi Protected Access is far better security for your router as it remains unhacked. One drawback is that not all wireless devices on the computer side support it.
  • Strong Encryption: Using the strongest encryption is always best. You will normally have the choice between 64 bit and 128 bit - choose 128.
  • Limiting total IP addresses. There should be a setting to change the amount of IP addresses that the router will hand out. If you know that you're only ever going to have 3 computers connected to the router, limit the router to that many. Even if someone finds out the password, they won't be able to connect as they router will not allow the additional computer to communicate.
  • Restricting connections to specific MAC addresses. MAC addresses are unique addresses given to each network device in the world. You can find the MAC address of your network card or wireless card by doing a "ipconfig /all" at a command prompt. In the subsequent output, Windows calls it "Physical Address". The address is always six pairs of hexadecimal characters looking something like 00-0E-A6-F0-33-F6. Once the router is restricted to know MAC addresses, it won't accept any others.

Why would I use a wireless network?

Wireless networks offer many advantages over wired networks, including:

  • Reduced clutter caused by wires and cables
  • Ability to locate computers anywhere within range of the central wireless connection.
  • Ability to roam around the local area with something like a laptop and remain connected to the local network.
  • Ability to share an internet connection amongst multiple computers.

Where can I get SSID help if I am having problems setting up my wireless network?

If you want SSID help, or are having problems setting up a wireless network, you can contact the friendly, experienced Solutions Engineers at supprt.com