What is an SSID (WiFi network name)?
An SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the name of a WiFi network — the label a router broadcasts and that shows up in the list of available networks when you're connecting a device, like "Smith-Family-WiFi" or a manufacturer's default like "NETGEAR87".
This is the generic networking term the acronym comes from — every WiFi network has one, it's how devices distinguish your network from your neighbor's. (Worth a direct note since it's also this site's name: ssid.ai is the branded tool at this domain, a MAC-address lookup and router default-login directory — not a generic reference page about the WiFi term itself, though this glossary entry covers that term properly since people do search for it.)
An SSID can be up to 32 characters and is usually chosen either by the manufacturer as a default (often including the brand and a model or serial fragment) or customized by the owner during setup. Most routers also support a "hidden" SSID mode, where the network name isn't broadcast publicly — though this is a weak security measure at best, since the SSID is still visible to anyone actively monitoring WiFi traffic in range, it just doesn't show up in a casual scan.
A related but distinct concept: BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier) is the actual MAC address of the specific access point radio broadcasting that SSID — while an SSID is a human-chosen name, a BSSID is a hardware address, and one SSID can be broadcast by multiple access points (each with its own BSSID) in a mesh WiFi setup.
FAQ
- Is SSID the same as WiFi password?
- No — the SSID is the network's name (what you see in the WiFi list); the password is the separate credential you enter to join it. Changing one doesn't change the other.
- Should I hide my SSID?
- It provides minimal real security benefit (the network is still detectable to anyone actively scanning) and can cause connection annoyances on some devices, so most guidance today recommends a strong WPA2/WPA3 password over SSID hiding as the actual security measure.
- What's the difference between SSID and BSSID?
- SSID is the network's broadcast name (a human-readable string). BSSID is the MAC address of the specific radio/access point broadcasting it. A mesh network with multiple access points typically has one SSID shared across several different BSSIDs.