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Tw0kings
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WiFi AP bridge - Station bridge hidden SSID

Mon Jan 23, 2023 4:24 pm

Hi,
I have following problem
I configured 3 MTik devices WiFi two device are AP bridge mode (different SSID and password) and one is Station bridge mode.
Added 2 interfaces under connect list (SSID name, correct security profile) for station bridge device.
Station bridge device doesn't have any SSID name configured under Wireless.

Everything works correctly. Station bridge device moves correctly between AP-s and connects networks.

Now when i just tick Hide SSID under wireless tab in AP bridge device i lose connection.
Station bridge wireless log shows that it starts to try connect all other AP around who's SSID is seen.
Never try to connect those what are defined under Connect List tab. Looks like it only tries to connect those SSID what are seen around, but not what are in the list.

Thank you for the help.
 
holvoetn
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Re: WiFi AP bridge - Station bridge hidden SSID

Mon Jan 23, 2023 5:49 pm

I think it makes perfect sense.

Suppose you have a connect list with SSID A and B.
And you're not transmitting an SSID on the other side, how would it know where to connect to ? It doesn't find A nor B.

You could try with an empty SSID in the connect list but I'm not sure that will work either.
From Help pages:
ssid (string; Default: "")

Rule matches access points that have this SSID. Empty value matches any SSID. This property has effect only when station mode interface ssid is empty, or when access point mode interface has wds-ignore-ssid=yes
 
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bpwl
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Re: WiFi AP bridge - Station bridge hidden SSID

Mon Jan 23, 2023 7:36 pm

If you fill in the hidden SSID in the station wifi setup it will work. The station will probably send an SSID-probe for that name, and get a response. Just like any client device.

Enable wireless logging and see how it proceeds with the connect-list setup.
The LOG will show all the SSID names captured, and will try to connect, and will say no-match or match in the connect list.
The hidden SSID NAME is just not in that captured SSID list (but the BSSID / MAC of the AP is), and so cannot be compared to the connect-list, as the name is missing
There are no SSID-probes sent for all the names in the connect list, AFAIK.
Don't know what an empty SSID in the connect list would do. The SSID name seems to be the test key. Would empty-empty be a match ? Would then MAC address of the connect list be used? (Set to the BSSID or MAC address of the AP) But then what SSID value would be used? That SSID value is hidden for some reason.

e.g. my LOG ... with no match (or nothing) in the connect-list ... but here name is in the wifi-station setup. Your LOG may vary.
Klembord-2.jpg
BSSID/MAC " ::::C4A8" is hidden (not even my AP)
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Tw0kings
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Re: WiFi AP bridge - Station bridge hidden SSID

Wed Jan 25, 2023 3:42 pm

If you fill in the hidden SSID in the station wifi setup it will work. The station will probably send an SSID-probe for that name, and get a response. Just like any client device.
Yes this is working. Connects to Site A hidden SSID AP but not to Site B AP since site B has different SSID
Enable wireless logging and see how it proceeds with the connect-list setup.
The LOG will show all the SSID names captured, and will try to connect, and will say no-match or match in the connect list.
The hidden SSID NAME is just not in that captured SSID list (but the BSSID / MAC of the AP is), and so cannot be compared to the connect-list, as the name is missing
There are no SSID-probes sent for all the names in the connect list, AFAIK.
Don't know what an empty SSID in the connect list would do. The SSID name seems to be the test key. Would empty-empty be a match ? Would then MAC address of the connect list be used? (Set to the BSSID or MAC address of the AP) But then what SSID value would be used? That SSID value is hidden for some reason.

e.g. my LOG ... with no match (or nothing) in the connect-list ... but here name is in the wifi-station setup. Your LOG may vary.

Klembord-2.jpg

BSSID/MAC " ::::C4A8" is hidden (not even my AP)
Tested more - cleaned SSID under station WiFi setup.

Added interface under connect-list.
First test without name and MAC Address
MtikCL1.jpg
Log
Mtiklog.jpg

Then with MAC address
MtikCL2.PNG
Log
Mtiklog1.PNG

Then with SSID
Mtiklog2.PNG

And then with SSID and MAC
Mtiklog3.PNG
None of them worked. Looks like it just doesn't check/control them at all.
All devices have 7.7 firmware.

Thank you for your attention
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bpwl
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Re: WiFi AP bridge - Station bridge hidden SSID

Wed Jan 25, 2023 10:56 pm

-edited-

Problem is for a connection you need the SSID name, the BSSID is found with the received beacons. If SSID is set in WLAN wireless then connect list is not used AFAIK*. If SSID is set *empty* in WLAN wireless setup, no SSID probe is sent, and the SSID is then not found in the received beacon table, but "hidden".

* see wiki: If SSID or exact wireless protocol is provided in the wireless interface configuration Connect List SSIDs or wireless protocols not covered by wireless interface configuration are ignored.

So there is no 'list' of SSID to try connection with. The MT implementation is to use the received beacon list, and compare to the connect list. Didn't see any way to try multiple hidden SSID .. so far... like " Multipe SSID entries in wireless interface SSID setup". Scripting alternate configs is the only way ? Multiple virtual WLAN? Never tried.
 
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bpwl
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Re: WiFi AP bridge - Station bridge hidden SSID

Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:07 pm

In MT wiki theory those blanc or empty SSID fields should work, but what with a BSSID that has multiple SSID's ???

from: https://www.mikrotik.com/testdocs/ros/3 ... reless.php

Connect List
Submenu level: /interface wireless connect-list

At first, the station is searching for APs all frequencies (from scan-list) in the respective band and makes a list of Access Points. If the ssid is set under /interface wireless, the router removes all Access Points from its AP list which do not have such ssid

Property Description

ssid (text) - the ssid of the AP. If none set, all ssid's are accepted. Different ssids will be meaningful, if the ssid for the respective interface is set to ""

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