Tech Term: SSID

When you work with technology as much as we do, there’s a bit of lingo that you pick up here and there. Of course, we then have a habit of using the terminology that we’ve picked up all the time, forgetting that not everyone has the same experience that we do. One word that causes this a lot is SSID. Here, we’ll discuss what we’re referring to when we use this term.

Wireless Connections
Mobile devices are an extremely popular method of computing now, with wireless connections utilized all the time in the office, the home, and in other (less secure) places - but security issues are a topic for another blog. To do so, a user generally connects to a wireless network, identifying it by name - this name, the service set identifier, is the SSID.

Each SSID you see in the list on your device is the name of a different network in range of your device. If the person in charge of a network is doing their job right, a password will be required to access the network, the SSID is just how each can be more easily identified.

How To Change Your SSID (And Why)
There are a few reasons why you may want to change the name of your own wireless network. Primarily, it makes it more difficult for a hacker to get into it without the password, but it also makes it easier to differentiate it from others in the area.

To change your SSID, access its settings by entering your router’s IP address into your web browser and typing in the access credentials, which are usually very generic and included with the device. From there, you should be able to find the option to alter the SSID and the password. Your SSID is case-sensitive, and can use up to 32 alphanumeric characters.

Assigning Multiple SSIDs
You can also configure your router to support a few different networks by using separate SSIDs. This comes in handy if you’re trying to protect some of your business’ internal information while still trying to offer visitors access to the office Internet.

For assistance with this, or with any other IT concern, reach out to us at (703) 743-3056.