Someone could look up your home SSID at and find out where you live. For example, if the SSID is truly unique you are at risk when one of your wireless devices broadcasts the SSID while its looking to connect. I don't think that's a good idea, as it makes it too easy for bad guys and spies to find you. But, to do so, you need a truly unique SSID, one not used by anyone else in the world.

connect to other networks sharing the same SSID.'Īpple is right in that you should chose a network name not used anywhere your portable Wi-Fi devices will go. If your SSID isn't unique, Wi-Fi devices. If your router came with a default SSID it's especially important that you change it to a different, unique name.

In a tech support document, Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points Apple says to 'Choose a name that's unique to your network and isn't shared by other nearby networks or other networks you are likely to encounter. Don't make it easy for someone to target you. If you live in apartment 3G, name your network 'Apartment5E'. If everyone knows you are a Boston Red Sox fan, don't use 'redsoxfan' as your SSID. I have relatives whose SSID is 'The Smith Family' perhaps the worst possible name (their last name is not really Smith). The network name you choose should not give away any personal information. Even if you change a default SSID of 'Linksys' to 'Netgear', anyone with a Wi-Fi survey app such as WiFi Analyzer on Android can tell that the router was made by Linksys. The identity of the hardware vendor is advertised for the world to see in the MAC address that the router broadcasts. I have seen others argue that changing an SSID that has the vendor name in it is good for security, as it hides the company that made your router. There might as well be a 'hack me' sign on the network. Anyone who has not changed the default network name is immediately pegged as a non-techie whose defenses are likely to be poor. On a totally different level, you don't appear to be technically clueless. Thus, a popular SSID makes the hacker’s job easier. The network name is part of the encryption algorithm, and password cracking dictionaries (rainbow tables) include common SSIDs. Using a default or common SSID, can make it easier for bad guys to crack the WPA2 encryption. You should change the default SSID(s), for a couple reasons, one technical one not. Whether each should have its own name is a debatable issue, but not a security one.

If a router can create more than one network, then each can have its own name/SSID. The SSID (Service Set IDentifier) is the name of a wireless network.

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