# Understanding WiFi



## balanga (Aug 17, 2019)

I rarely use WiFi, much prefer wired, but I guess I should make an effort to understand the technology...

When I just  ran `ifconfig wlan0 scan` I got:-

```
SSID/MESH ID                      BSSID              CHAN RATE    S:N     INT CAPS
CoreELEC-AP                       60:f1:89:0c:87:12    1   54M  -74:-95   100 EP   RSN HTCAP WPS APCHANREP
TALKTALK047865                    18:0f:76:04:78:65    1   54M  -85:-95   100 EP   HTCAP WPA RSN WME WPS
BTWifi-with-FON                   1a:62:2c:53:76:2d    1   54M  -32:-95   100 ES   HTCAP WME
DOM-2G                            80:37:73:16:18:98    6   54M  -75:-95   100 EP   HTCAP WME ATH RSN WPA WPS
LOFT-2G                           80:37:73:4e:9a:08    6   54M  -78:-95   100 EP   HTCAP WME ATH RSN WPA WPS
0x0000000                         7a:fe:3b:13:44:af    6   54M -112:-95   100 EP   RSN BSSLOAD HTCAP WME
BT-FTA3T8                         44:fe:3b:13:44:ab    6   54M -100:-95   100 EP   RSN BSSLOAD HTCAP WPS WME
BTWifi-with-FON                   7a:fe:3b:13:44:ac    6   54M -123:-95   100 E    BSSLOAD HTCAP WME
BTWifi-X                          7a:fe:3b:13:44:ad    6   54M -112:-95   100 EP   RSN BSSLOAD HTCAP WPA WME
TP-LINK                           e8:94:f6:68:3c:b7   11   54M  -88:-95   100 EPS  WPA BSSLOAD HTCAP WME
VM988567-2G                       e8:fc:af:27:9c:80   11   54M  -78:-95   100 EP   HTCAP APCHANREP WME ATH RSN WPA WPS
LOFT-5G                           80:37:73:69:97:78   36   54M  -57:-95   100 EP   HTCAP VHTCAP VHTOPMODE VHTPWRENV WME ATH RSN WPS
DOM-5G                            80:37:73:29:03:50   36   54M  -83:-95   100 EP   HTCAP VHTCAP VHTOPMODE VHTPWRENV WME ATH RSN WPS
Hub3.0-5.0                        c0:05:c2:c4:ce:6f   48   54M  -79:-95   100 EP   HTCAP VHTCAP VHTOPMODE VHTPWRENV WME ATH RSN WPS
TP-LINK-5                         e8:94:f6:68:3c:b8   36   54M  -85:-95   100 EPS  WPA BSSLOAD HTCAP WME
DIRECT-D6-HP ENVY 5540 series     30:e1:71:4a:71:d7    1   54M  -91:-95   100 EP   RSN HTCAP WME WPS
                                  fa:8f:ca:32:75:16   11   54M  -92:-95   100 ES   HTCAP WME
jazz                              40:0d:10:22:25:31    6   54M -101:-95   100 EPS  HTCAP WME ATH RSN WPS
BTHub5-9K5G                       18:62:2c:53:76:2d    1   54M  -91:-95   100 EPS  RSN HTCAP WME WPS
TALKTALKBA1CDA                    98:e7:f5:ba:1c:e0   11   54M  -92:-95   100 EP   HTCAP WPA RSN WME WPS
```

How do I find out what all this means?


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## Deleted member 9563 (Aug 17, 2019)

I get the same output on my router when I do a scan, though formatted slightly differently. In your case the column headers is all you need to answer your question. IE, SSID is just that, followed by the MAC address, etc. But perhaps your question is deeper and I didn't get it. 

PS: not a lot of entertaining SSIDs there - must be a commercial environment.


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## hukadan (Aug 17, 2019)

balanga said:


> How do I find out what all this means?


By reading ifconfig(8), in particular the *list scan* part :


> list scan
> Display the access    points and/or ad-hoc neighbors located in the
> vicinity.    This information may be    updated    automatically by the
> adapter with a scan request or through background scanning.  De-
> ...


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## scottro (Aug 18, 2019)

The handbook's page, https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/network-wireless.html might also be of use.  It's probably a little more user friendly, especially for the newcomer, than the man page.


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