How to handle multiple SSIDs with the same BSS

Marcel Holtmann marcel
Wed Dec 23 14:27:25 PST 2009


Hi Alan,

> > >>> BSS 00:1a:a1:53:50:a0 (on wlan0)
> > >>> 	SSID: Private
> > >>> BSS 00:1a:a1:53:50:a0 (on wlan0)
> > >>> 	SSID: Public
> > >>> When using the wpa_supplicant D-Bus interface, every BSS can only be
> > >>> listed once and so we either see "Private" or "Public", but never
> > >>> actually both of them. How should this be handled.
> > >> I wasn't aware that there is this kind of limitation in the D-Bus
> > >> interface. It is clearly broken if it cannot include both of those
> > >> networks.
> > > 
> > > from what I have read so far while going through the code, it is not
> > > possible. The BSSID is used as unique path in D-Bus terms and because of
> > > that there is no way both networks could be listed at the same time.
> > > 
> > Precisely. Path of DBus object representing BSS is based on BSSID. Since
> > the path must be unique we can't have both networks listed.
> > I think that we can change a path format quite easy in the new DBus API,
> > but I'm afraid that changes in the old API may may brake it.
> > Actually, I was sure that BSSID is an unique identifier, but obviously
> > we need to think out something else. Is the pair of BSSID and SSID
> > unique? I'm not sure.
> 
> I missed the beginning of this, but the BSSID *should* be unique unless
> someone is spoofing their mac.  If it is two separate APs each
> providing the same SSID, the BSSID should be the mac and that should be
> unique.  If it is virtual APs providing the same SSID, the BSSID should
> be unique.  I apologize for missing the beginning of this, but
> something seems strange with the AP setup.

the BSSID is unique, but an access point can broadcast two different
SSIDs via the same BSSID.

This is not about the same SSID. We are talking about different SSIDs
from the same access point.

Regards

Marcel





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