SSID
Technology & Computing abbreviation · Networking
| Stands for | Service set identifier |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
SSID stands for Service set identifier, a networking abbreviation.
The name of a Wi-Fi network, up to 32 bytes long, that appears in the list of available networks on phones and laptops. Access points broadcast it in beacon frames several times a second so clients can find and join the right network.
Example: Join the SSID "Clinic-Guest" and enter the password printed at reception.
Usage notes
Hiding the SSID by disabling its broadcast adds no real security, because the name still appears in client connection requests that anyone nearby can capture. Several access points sharing one SSID let devices roam around a building. The related BSSID is the MAC address of one specific access point radio. Default SSIDs often reveal the router brand, so changing them is common advice.
Related abbreviations
More networking abbreviations
- SNI – Server Name Indication
- SNMP – Simple Network Management Protocol
- SOA – Start of authority (record)
- SPF – Shortest path first
- SRV – Service (record)
- SSH – Secure Shell
- STP – Shielded twisted pair
- STUN – Session Traversal Utilities for NAT
- TCP – Transmission Control Protocol
- TCP/IP – Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
- TFTP – Trivial File Transfer Protocol
- TTL – Time to live