Tutorial by:Kevin J
ESSID, BSSID, SSID, IBSS, MBSS
With all the different service sets and identifiers I thought I would take a few min to explain them for #MHC.
ESS, ESSID,BSS, BSSID, SSID, IBSS, MBSS
Basic Service Set – A basic service set is the AP you are connected to. Once you associate to an AP you are in the BSS. The BSS has an identifier to identify what you are connected to. The BSSID is the MAC address of the AP you are connected to.
Extended Service Set – An ESS is usually a set of multiple Aps connected by a distribution system. The purpose of the ESS is to provide a good roaming environment for the device. The ESS has in identifier, it is the ESSID. The ESSID is essentially the same thing as a SSID (Service Set Identifier) which relates back to the ability to provide seamless roaming. Roaming wouldn’t occur if the AP broadcast different SSIDs, even though you change BSSID the ESSID will remain the same.
Independent Basic Service Set – An IBSS is an AD_HOC network that consists of devices communicating amongst each other. There is no AP involved but there is still a identifier. The identifier is a BSSID, but it isn’t the mac of an AP it is the MAC of the transmitting device.
Service Set Identifier – The SSID is probably the best known of the service set identifiers. The SSID is the name of the network you want to connect to, it is what the AP broadcasts.
Mesh Basic Service Set – A MBSS is the APs that are hard wired to the network to provide connectivity for the wireless connected APs. Contained in the MBSS, is all the other service sets also.