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Author Topic: How can I connect with/configure wifi not broadcasting its name?  (Read 2989 times)

Offline Nibdar

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Sorry. I'm starting my adventure with Linux from TC and have no idea how to resolve this issue. Thank you in advance.

Offline tinypoodle

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Re: How can I connect with/configure wifi not broadcasting its name?
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2013, 04:31:07 PM »
If you already happen to know the exact spelling you can use:
Code: [Select]
sudo iwconfig <interface> essid <ESSID>
With wpa_supplicant you would have to include following options in your configuration file:
Code: [Select]
network={
                    ssid="ESSID"
                    scan_ssid=1
}

If not, you may have to run a monitoring app like kismet or airmon-ng for a while to get the exact essid.

"Software gets slower faster than hardware gets faster." Niklaus Wirth - A Plea for Lean Software (1995)

Offline genec

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Re: How can I connect with/configure wifi not broadcasting its name?
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2013, 08:29:19 AM »
The eSSID non-broadcast config is actually against the 802.11 spec (yet many manufacturers use it).  The best I recall is that one manufacturer early on did this "in the name of security" when in reality it's just obscurity.  Some devices (like an Apple iPad) refuse to remember non-broadcasting eSSIDs, forcing you to type it every time.  Broadcast is just the easiest of 5 methods by which to find an eSSID.

Offline tinypoodle

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Re: How can I connect with/configure wifi not broadcasting its name?
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2013, 12:44:52 AM »
I can only fully agree with everything stated, in case my post gave unintentionally a wrong impression.
Of course the preferable and proper thing would be to talk sense into the netadmin, but I think it can't harm to have a technical workaround in cases when standards are not adhered to in the wild .
« Last Edit: April 25, 2013, 01:36:02 AM by tinypoodle »
"Software gets slower faster than hardware gets faster." Niklaus Wirth - A Plea for Lean Software (1995)

Online Juanito

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Re: How can I connect with/configure wifi not broadcasting its name?
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2013, 01:21:39 AM »
I regularly connect to an ap that does not broadcast the ssid.

The main issue is probably that wifi.sh will not connect (in my case at least) - even if I save the correct details in wifi.db. Connecting from a saved wpa_supplicant configuration like that above works fine.

Various iphones, ipads, etc, all remember the details after the initial entry and connect automatically thereafter.

Offline genec

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Re: How can I connect with/configure wifi not broadcasting its name?
« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2013, 01:08:08 PM »
Various iphones, ipads, etc, all remember the details after the initial entry and connect automatically thereafter.
Perhaps a newer Apple iOS version has allowed this.