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I don't understand the difference between MAC address and BSSID.
I understand that MAC is an identifier to local networks, but when I searched BSSID on wiki I got this:
In an infrastructure BSS, the BSSID is the MAC address of the wireless access point (WAP).
from source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_set_%28802.11_network%29
if BSSID is the mac address of WAP, then how come MAC addresses and BSSIDs are different?
I tried this on a simple android app, when I getConnectionInfo I have a different BSSID from a MAC address. Can someone please explain this to me?
Thanks
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The BSSID is the MAC address of the corresponding WAP used to describe sections of a WLAN. The BSSID uniquely identifies the access point's radio using a MAC address, while the SSID is the name of the network that allows devices to connect.
BSSIDs Identify Access Points and Their Clients However, there are usually multiple access points within each WLAN, and there has to be a way to identify those access points and their associated clients. This identifier is called a basic service set identifier (BSSID) and is included in all wireless packets.
An SSID is the Name of a Network. BSSIDs Identify Access Points and Their Clients. An ESS Consists of BSSs.
Overview. Each SSID on a Cisco Meraki access point is represented as a unique MAC address known as a BSSID. While several APs in an ESS (extended service set) may advertise the same SSID, the BSSID serves as a unique identifier for clients to know which AP they are associated with.
The MAC address identifies a piece of hardware. The hub has a MAC address, and so does your network card which is connecting to it. The former is also the BSSID.
getConnectionInfo will be returning your MAC address as "MAC address", and the hub's MAC address as "BSSID".
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The MAC address is the access point (AP) address.
Each AP can support up to 16 SSIDs (Service Set ID). Each of these SSIDs has their own MAC address derived from the AP MAC address.
For more information and to see how the BSSID derived from the MAC address please see: https://community.arubanetworks.com/t5/Controller-Based-WLANs/How-is-the-BSSID-derived-from-the-Access-Point-ethernet-MAC/ta-p/176290
I hope this answers the question for the future viewer.
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