Hide wifi ssid

Hide Wi-Fi SSID broadcast

The CANlink® wireless 4000, if defined as a Wi-Fi Access Point (AP), can disable the broadcast of the network SSID. Clients can still connect to this AP, but they must know the SSID beforehand.

Also, when configured as a Client device, it is possible to connect to an AP with a hidden SSID (if that SSID is known).

Warning

Hiding the Wi-Fi SSID is a poor form of security, known as "Security through obscurity".
There are tools freely available that can find hidden SSIDs.

Hiding the SSID can reduce the ease of connection by a naïve user, but a determined user will be able to connect even when the SSID is 'hidden'.

Server Configuration

The device must be initially configured as a Wi-Fi® Server.

1. Set 0x30000x1F [WiFi Hide SSID broadcast] to 1 (Enabled).

2. Hidden SSID is only possible within a secure network, therefore, set 0x3000:0x04 [WiFi Authentication Type] to 7 [WPA/WPA2 Mixed] to enable it.

3. As discussed in Wi-Fi Encryption, the 0x3000:0x05 [WiFi Authentication Key] must be configured.

The SSID will be hidden upon next boot of the device, and will remain hidden until either being disabled, or a Factory Reset is performed, see also Reset Device.

Client Configuration

No specific client configuration is needed in order to connect to an Access Point (AP) with a hidden SSID.

As long as:

• the authentication 0x3000:0x04 [WiFi Authentication Type] is set to 7 [WPA/WPA2 Mixed], and
• the correct SSID is in 0x3010:0x1A [Bluetooth SPP MAC Address 1], and
• the password in 0x3000:0x05 [WiFi Authentication Key] matches the Server password

the the Client will connect to the hidden Wi-Fi® SSID.