In wireless networking, what does the SSID identify?

• A. The name of the wireless network that clients connect to.
• B. The encryption scheme used.
• C. The channel used.
• D. The MAC address of the access point.

Answer: (A)

The SSID identifies the name of the wireless network that clients connect to. It’s the human-friendly name broadcast by an access point so devices can discover and choose which network to join. This identifier is carried in beacon frames and responses to probe requests, helping your device assemble a list of available networks. It isn’t about encryption schemes, which handle security, nor about the channel, which is the radio frequency used, nor the MAC address of the access point, which is a hardware identifier. Sometimes multiple APs use the same SSID to provide seamless roaming within the same network, while each AP has its own MAC address even though the network name stays the same. If an SSID is hidden, it won’t appear in scans, and you’d need to manually enter the network name and security settings to connect.