The SSID, also known as the network name, is a critical part of any wireless Internet connection. This is used for identify and differentiate our network from other networks that are also within range of the equipment and devices we use, and without which we would not be able to connect to our Wi-Fi.

Normally, the SSID is displayed publicly, which means that when we scan for available Wi-Fi networks, the name of this network will appear as one of the various networks in our range. In order to connect, we won’t need to know the SSID because it appears publicly, We will only need the password associated with this network identifier.

Each network identifier has its own password. It can happen that two SSIDs have the same password, this is something rare and infrequent, but not impossible, and in this case the connections would be distinguished by the network identifier.

Knowing the SSID is therefore very important to be able to connect to a Wi-Fi network, because it is username equivalent which we would use to access various services with a password. If we had a password but not a username, we would not be able to access these services, which means that this also plays an important role in terms of security.

If it’s so important, why is the SSID displayed publicly?

The truth is that it is displayed mainly for convenience. There is much more easy, fast and convenient Connect to a Wi-Fi network by selecting the network name and entering the password. It is also essential that it is publicly displayed on those Wi-Fi networks that are open and do not have a password.

This way you don’t have to waste time entering the name of the network, but at the same time we give up a security layer that seems very useful at first glance, but is it really so, does it really add extra protection to our Wi-Fi network? Strictly speaking, yes It helps protect our network, but it is not reliable.

By hiding the SSID, we will prevent a large number of users, who are just those with less knowledge or more basic knowledge, from trying to launch brute force attacks against our network using the information they have about us, and the end may allow them to deduce our password.

However, there are methods and tools to find out the network name even if it is hidden, and they make SSID hiding not as effective as it may seem at first glance. If we have a home office we will not be the target of big hackers or really dangerous attacksRather, we can end up in the spotlight of other people’s little friends who normally have less knowledge on the subject, so in this case, yes, I think it would be a good choice to hide the network name.

AVM routers with the FRITZ!OS operating system have a very simple and intuitive interface that allows us to easily change this configuration. With a simple click We can stop the public display of our network’s SSID.

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