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From: Enrico Papaloma <enrico@papaloma.net>
Newsgroups: comp.mobile.android
Subject: Re: home screen icon to connect to wi-fi network
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2024 06:32:25 +0200
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On 9/22/2024 8:29 AM, Chris wrote:
>>> That is not the same as identifying your phone which is the
>>> purpose of IMEI in your phone to let carriers know you have permission
>>> via account status to use their service.
>> 
>> When you go to the local marijuana shop on Monday, if your home router was
>> set up for privacy, then your phone broadcasted your unique BSSID of
>> 01100100 01100101 01100001 01100100 01100010 01100101 01100101 01100110
>> 01100011 01100001 01100110 01100101.
>> 
>> Worse, if you have more than one home access point, your phone broadcast
>> the unique 96-character BSSID of every one of your home access points.
> 
> Your phone will broadcast *all* WAPs that you've ever connected to (and not
> removed). There's no way for the shop - even if they cared - to identify
> which WAP is your home one. Even if they had a global database look-up of
> all BSSIDs and geographical addresses. With the exception of if you only
> ever connect to a single WAP which is your home.

Again, you show an understanding of networking details which is very good.

I just checked my phone by looking in Settings > Connections > (then long
pressing on the existing Wi-Fi connection) > (then tapping the three dots
at the top right of the screen) > Advanced Settings > Manage Networks >
where that lists all recent wireless access points that I've connected to.

There are a good dozen, but they all say "Auto reconnect turned off".
Which means the unique BSSID is not broadcast the way my phone is set up.

However, I'm well aware most people have every Wi-Fi access point they've
ever connected to set up to automatically re-connect (if it's seen again).

Which is the common (default) setup that you are trying to explain to me.

That means most people do broadcast all wireless access point unique BSSIDs
(let's ignore the non-unique SSID for now) everywhere they go, just as you
said they would.

But not me.

Do we agree on that as a basic starting point.
a. Your phone broadcasts the unique BSSIDs of every WAP you connected to.
b. Mine does not.

That's just a basic starting point, but do we at least agree on that yet?