PSSID Physical Layer Identity

The term "PSSID" stands for "Physical Layer Service Set Identifier." It is a unique identifier used in wireless networks to distinguish between different service sets operating at the physical layer. In this context, the physical layer refers to the lowest layer of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model, responsible for transmitting raw data bits over the physical medium.

The PSSID serves as a key element in wireless communication, specifically in the context of the IEEE 802.11 standard, commonly known as Wi-Fi. The IEEE 802.11 standard defines a set of protocols and specifications for wireless local area networks (WLANs). It establishes how devices communicate with each other in a wireless network.

The PSSID acts as a unique identifier for a particular wireless network or WLAN. It allows wireless devices to differentiate between multiple networks in range and identify the specific network they wish to connect to. Each wireless network has its own PSSID, enabling devices to establish a connection with the desired network.

Wireless access points (APs), which are the devices responsible for creating and managing wireless networks, broadcast the PSSID in the form of beacons. These beacons are periodically transmitted by the APs to announce the presence and configuration of the network. When a wireless device scans for available networks, it captures these beacons and extracts the PSSID information to identify the networks in its vicinity.

The PSSID itself is a character string with a maximum length of 32 octets (bytes). It can include alphanumeric characters and special symbols. The PSSID is case-sensitive, meaning that uppercase and lowercase letters are considered distinct. For example, "MyNetwork" and "mynetwork" would be treated as two separate PSSIDs.

When a wireless device wants to connect to a specific network, the user typically selects the desired PSSID from a list of available networks provided by the device's Wi-Fi settings. Once the device has identified the desired network, it initiates the authentication and association process to establish a connection.

It's important to note that the PSSID is associated with the physical layer of the network and is distinct from the network's service set identifier (SSID). The SSID represents the logical or network layer identifier for a wireless network, while the PSSID specifically refers to the physical layer identification.

In summary, the PSSID, or Physical Layer Service Set Identifier, is a unique identifier used in wireless networks to differentiate between different service sets operating at the physical layer. It allows wireless devices to identify and connect to a specific network among multiple networks in range.