Instead of waiting for the phone to find the network and connect to it, especially when there is a long list of available networks that have been already connected to, is there a way to make a home screen icon to quickly connect to a definite wi-fi network ap (without using the settings)?
I doubt your finger is faster to click an icon, and run a process to
select a wifi hotspot, than the scanning to determine which wifi hotspot
is within reach and has the strongest signal. Of course, that assume automatic hotspot connect, not where you have to authorize the connect.
https://source.android.com/docs/core/connect/wifi-network-selection
If you are at home, your phone should automatically switch to the wifi
modem in your house, not try to use a wifi hotspot across the country
where you were vacationing up until yesterday.
Personally I don't want auto-connect except for my home wifi cable
modem. Anyone can pretend they're a hotspot to which you were connected before, or pretend they're the hotspot where you are, like running their
own hotspot named StarbucksFreeWifi at a Starbucks shop. I prefer to
get prompted to allow a hotspot connect rather than allow automatically.
https://news.uthsc.edu/announcements/cybersecurity-tip-of-the-week-how-to-disable-wi-fi-auto-connect-and-bluetooth/
Except for your home wifi hotspot, auto-connect should be disabled for
the other hotspots saved on your phone (for those you haven't deleted/forgotten, because you're not going back there again). If only
your home wifi hotspot has auto-connect enabled, and the rest don't (you
get prompted to allow those), the auto-connect to your home wifi should
be extremely fast, and faster then your finger.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pw.wifishortcut
That puts an icon on your screen to quickly jump to wifi settings
instead of having to drop the shade to navigate through the settings
menus to the wifi settings. Never tried it since Android 10 minimum is required, and I'm on an ancient Android 8 phone.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.opengait.wifishortcuts
Maybe that gives you what you want. It defines a widget to a specified
wifi network, and you can set the widget to connect when tapped. No
idea if it works on your phone (no Android version mentioned). This
says it works back to Android 5, was last updated in 2020, but that
doesn't mean it will work on whatever Android you have.
Instead of waiting for the phone to find the network and connect to it, especially when there is a long list of available networks that have been already connected to, is there a way to make a home screen icon to quickly connect to a definite wi-fi network ap (without using the settings)?
On 9/15/2024 12:15 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
I doubt your finger is faster to click an icon, and run a process to
select a wifi hotspot, than the scanning to determine which wifi hotspot
is within reach and has the strongest signal. Of course, that assume
automatic hotspot connect, not where you have to authorize the connect.
https://source.android.com/docs/core/connect/wifi-network-selection
Thank you for trying to help me as I have spent hours and hours on this, where all I want is something so basic that I don't know why it's hard.
All I want is to put a shortcut on my home screen that connects to a known access point bssid/ssid pairing, which should be simple to create, right?
Instead of waiting for the phone to find the network and connect to it,
Instead of waiting for the phone to find the network and connect to it,
How long to you have to wait? My phone usually connects within seconds
if a known WiFi network is in reach.
Arno Welzel wrote:
How long to you have to wait? My phone usually connects within seconds
if a known WiFi network is in reach.
How long is the wait? Forever.
Actually the wait is "forever and ever" because I have the wi-fi
auto-connect turned off for privacy reasons - as leaving auto-connect
turned on shouts out your home BSSID every few seconds everywhere you go.
Actually the wait is "forever and ever" because I have the wi-fi
auto-connect turned off for privacy reasons - as leaving auto-connect
turned on shouts out your home BSSID every few seconds everywhere you go.
You sure disabling auto-reconnect must be a global setting?
I thought
you could go into the properties of a connectoid to decide if you want
that one to auto-reconnect, like the wifi hotspot in your home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEkwtEzYeAQ&t=12s
Without the password, what good is the broadcasted BSSID?
Anyone can
drive by my house, but they're not getting in with the key.
Yes, they
could break in, just like anyone with physical access to your AP or wifi cable modem can alter its settings. If they have physical access,
they're already inside. I can wear a company badge on my shirt that
anyone can read, but that doesn't grant them access into the building by
just knowing my name off the badge.
You run open wifi hotspots to which anyone can connect without a
password?
On 2024-09-15 06:30, Enrico Papaloma wrote:
Instead of waiting for the phone to find the network and connect to it,
especially when there is a long list of available networks that have been
already connected to, is there a way to make a home screen icon to quickly >> connect to a definite wi-fi network ap (without using the settings)?
Have a look a what widgets your phone has. Look for the one named
"settings". Then you have to select what setting you want it to
activate. There is one named "internet" which is close but not what you
want.
VanguardLH wrote:
I thought you could go into the properties of a connectoid to decide
if you want that one to auto-reconnect, like the wifi hotspot in
your home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEkwtEzYeAQ&t=12s
Absolutely. Each wi-fi access point has its own setting for autoconnect.
But if you turn one off, you'll be turning them all off.
Without the password, what good is the broadcasted BSSID?
There are a hundred ways to answer that but the simplest is that the BSSID
is like your Social Security Number. It's you. Only you. Nobody else. You.
On 9/15/2024 11:15 PM, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2024-09-15 06:30, Enrico Papaloma wrote:
Instead of waiting for the phone to find the network and connect to it,
especially when there is a long list of available networks that have been >>> already connected to, is there a way to make a home screen icon to quickly >>> connect to a definite wi-fi network ap (without using the settings)?
Have a look a what widgets your phone has. Look for the one named
"settings". Then you have to select what setting you want it to
activate. There is one named "internet" which is close but not what you
want.
It seems only the Pixel has a widget that will automatically connect to a known unique BSSID/SSID pair, but I have a Samsung, which doesn't have it. https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/203734046/how-to-create-shortcut-for-hotspot-on-home-screen
Remember the home router is always set to not broadcast your BSSID/SSID
pair, which is prudent not for security but for privacy reasons since then phones don't upload your unique BSSID/SSID pair to Internet databases.
It seems only the Pixel has a widget that will automatically connect to a known unique BSSID/SSID pair
Absolutely. Each wi-fi access point has its own setting for autoconnect.
But if you turn one off, you'll be turning them all off.
That's surprising, plus it means disabling auto-reconnect is a global
action, not just on the connectiod being configured.
Without the password, what good is the broadcasted BSSID?
There are a hundred ways to answer that but the simplest is that the BSSID >> is like your Social Security Number. It's you. Only you. Nobody else. You.
And anyone can guess a sequence of numbers to construct a social
security number. It really isn't that much of a secret.
The BSSID is
more like the house number on the outside of your house or on your
mailbox: everyone knows what it is and where it is.
So, your objection is not that your home router advertizes it is at your home, but a wifi hotspot you run on your phone identifies you're the
owner of that hotspot. Why are you running a wifi hotspot (tethering)
on your phone?
The BSSID is the MAC address of the radio *to* which your phone is
currently connected. BSSID is the unique identifier for a specific
access point within a wireless network, and used to distinguish between multiple access points sharing the same SSID, and the SSID isn't yours, either. The BSSID is the 48-bit MAC address of the wireless AP or
router used to make wifi connections. Are you toting around an wireless
AP or router for which you are worried others will discover its BSSID?
Every phone can ID your wireless AP or router, because of its SSID +
BSSID.
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.
For example, my desktop PC has wifi capability. Wifi is enabled;
however, it is not connected to my wifi cable modem. As a result, the command:
netsh wlan show interfaces | find "BSSID"
doesn't find anything, because my desktop PC is not connected to any
wifi hotspot. I could connect, but then obviates the point of not
allowing auto reconnects to known hotspots, plus I prefer the CAT5 cable connection to use Ethernet.
Do a test. Disconnect from all wifi hotspots. Use Ubuitities' WiFiman
or olgor's WiFi Analyzer to look for a BSSID (which is presented as the
MAC address of the hotspot to where your phone connected). You won't
find one. Connect to a wifi hotspot, like your wifi cable modem.
WiFiman will show the specs on the hotspot, like BSSID (as MAC address), SSID, IP address, netmask, signal strength, etc. Now disconnect from
the hotspot. Yep, BSSID is gone, because you don't have a connect with
the hotspot to which a BSSID was assigned.
The BSSID does not follow around with your phone. It is the network
interface (48-bit MAC address) of whatever wifi hotspot to which you are currently connected. At home, you'll see the BSSID of your wifi cable
modem. At Starbucks, it will be the BSSID for your phone's connection
to their wifi router. At the library, it will be their BSSID. When not connected to any hotspot, there's no BSSID for you to get.
The BSSID doesn't track your phone. Your phone's IMEI tracks your
phone. Call your local police to find out if they're using CALEA (Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement) or IMSI Catchers to
track your phone or calls by using IMEI, or by mobile phone number, but
that requires coercing a court to force a carrier to track your IMEI.
Your carrier, upon proper request, helps the cops track your phone or
calls. They also cooperate with lost phone location.
https://www.fcc.gov/calea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMSI-catcher https://techreport.com/spy/spy-on-phone-with-imei/
No one cares about the BSSID of the hotspot to which you connect.
The
hotspot itself can record its own history on who connected to it.
Take a look at:
https://wigle.net/
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=wigle&c=apps
Notice the BSSID is presented as a MAC address. It shows the SSID and
BSSID, but of what? Your phone? Nope, of the hotspot your phone found
when running their app on your phone. Their app and their maps show the hotspots you *discovered*, not where was your phone (although they may collect that info, too, but it's your choice).
There are many crowdsourced database where users runs apps to record
what hotspots they found (by SSID and BSSID), or where are the cell
towers to which they connected to their carrier (e.g., OpenSignal).
Your objection is the BSSID tracks your phone. Wrong. It is the MAC
address of the hotspots to which you connected, and EVERYONE connecting
to that same hotspot are getting the same SSID and BSSID from there.
Anyone can generate a sequence of numbers hoping it matches my social security number. Yes, your wifi cable modem at home is broadcasting its
SSID and BSSID, but so is that house number painted on the side of your
home. It's up to you if you want to operate an open hotspot that anyone
can use. Most users incorporate password to operate a closed or private hotspot. If they don't know the password, they aren't getting a wifi connection. In the connection request, and before the connection is permitted, yes, someone can get the BSSID of your home wifi router, but
how does that relate to tracking your phone? Just because your wifi
modem is sending its SSID + BSSID to any wifi device during a scan
doesn't tell anyone that your phone is actually at home connected to
that wifi router.
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.
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.
So we can safely assume your unique BSSID & GPS location is already easily >> accessible by any person who knows how to access that public database.
And exactly who can access this "public" database?
People can also see my house on google maps or see my address in the phone book. Certain officials can also get my name and address for official reasons, like electioneering.
And, we can just as safely assume that my unique BSSID is NOT in that db.
Maybe, maybe not. How would you even know?
Regardless, neither your house nor your address is secret information.
Do we agree on that as a basic starting point.
a. Your unique BSSID is in the public database as is your GPS location.
b. Mine is not.
That's just a basic starting point, but do we at least agree on that yet?
Possibly, but you've completely missed my point. Your BSSID doesn't intrinsically identify you and given any broadcast includes all WAPs it's impractical/impossible to identify your home (or mine) from a device's broadcast.
At best, all someone can do is say that your device has been seen on this network before. They won't be able to say that this device belongs to Arlen who lives at 123 Acacia Avenue. A specialist with legal authority and a lot more information gathered from elsewhere *might*.
Remember the home router is always set to not broadcast your BSSID/SSID
pair, which is prudent not for security but for privacy reasons since then phones don't upload your unique BSSID/SSID pair to Internet databases.
So two things are set which most people don't know why they'd set them.
(1) The home router is set to NOT BROADCAST your unique BSSID/SSID pair.
(2) The phone is set to NOT AUTO CONNECT to any known wi-fi access points.
Those are set for privacy.
Not for security.
Most people don't understand the difference, but the end result is if you leave auto connect on the default setting, then your phone will constantly shout out your unique BSSID/SSID pair everywhere you go in the world.
That allows anyone with even minimum skills to track your every movement.
I don't want that.
On 9/18/2024 1:50 AM, Arno Welzel wrote:
Instead of waiting for the phone to find the network and connect to it,
How long to you have to wait? My phone usually connects within seconds
if a known WiFi network is in reach.
How long is the wait? Forever.
Actually the wait is "forever and ever" because I have the wi-fi
auto-connect turned off for privacy reasons - as leaving auto-connect
turned on shouts out your home BSSID every few seconds everywhere you go.
Remember the home router is always set to not broadcast your BSSID/SSID
pair, which is prudent not for security but for privacy reasons since then >> phones don't upload your unique BSSID/SSID pair to Internet databases.
Why do you think, that the phone won't do this, when it is *connected*
to that SSID?
So two things are set which most people don't know why they'd set them.
(1) The home router is set to NOT BROADCAST your unique BSSID/SSID pair.
(2) The phone is set to NOT AUTO CONNECT to any known wi-fi access points. >>
Those are set for privacy.
Not for security.
What has auto-connect to do with privacy if you are using your own WiFi network?
Most people don't understand the difference, but the end result is if you
leave auto connect on the default setting, then your phone will constantly >> shout out your unique BSSID/SSID pair everywhere you go in the world.
Do you have a source where one can learn more about this?
That allows anyone with even minimum skills to track your every movement.
I don't want that.
With even "minimum skills"? How?
Then live with the consequences.
Enrico Papaloma, 2024-09-19 03:05:
[...]
Remember the home router is always set to not broadcast your BSSID/SSID
pair, which is prudent not for security but for privacy reasons since then >> phones don't upload your unique BSSID/SSID pair to Internet databases.
Why do you think, that the phone won't do this, when it is *connected*
to that SSID?
So two things are set which most people don't know why they'd set them.
(1) The home router is set to NOT BROADCAST your unique BSSID/SSID pair.
(2) The phone is set to NOT AUTO CONNECT to any known wi-fi access points. >>
Those are set for privacy.
Not for security.
What has auto-connect to do with privacy if you are using your own WiFi network?
Most people don't understand the difference, but the end result is if you
leave auto connect on the default setting, then your phone will constantly >> shout out your unique BSSID/SSID pair everywhere you go in the world.
Do you have a source where one can learn more about this?
That allows anyone with even minimum skills to track your every movement.
I don't want that.
With even "minimum skills"? How?
On 9/28/2024 6:39 AM, Arno Welzel wrote:
The phone is set to connect to that "hidden network" but not to reconnect. That's done to keep the Cannabis store from picking up my unique home WAP's BSSID while I'm away from home. Together, it's three things for privacy.
[1] Home WAP set up as hidden network (it doesn't broadcast availability)
[2] Phone set up to connect to the hidden network (credentials are saved)
[3] But phone is also set up to never auto connect (it doesn't look)
On 9/28/2024 1:40 PM, Arno Welzel wrote:
Then live with the consequences.
You make it sound like efficiency is an evil thing for someone to desire.
The consequences is it takes more than a single tap to connect to a hidden home WAP where the goal of this thread is to reduce that to a single tap.
What I'm seeking is a shortcut that connects to any given access point.
That shouldn't be hard to do - but I don't know how to do it. Do you?
On 9/28/2024 6:39 AM, Arno Welzel wrote:
Remember the home router is always set to not broadcast your BSSID/SSID
pair, which is prudent not for security but for privacy reasons since then >>> phones don't upload your unique BSSID/SSID pair to Internet databases.
Why do you think, that the phone won't do this, when it is *connected*
to that SSID?
Good question. I don't know the full answer but I suspect the correct
answer has a lot to do with the word "this" in your sentence.
What, exactly, do you mean, by "this"? (See what I mean, below.)
But I have auto-connect turned off, so the phone is not "looking" for any WAP, and therefore once the phone is disconnected from that WAP, it stops sending those packets containing the BSSID of the home router WAP.
Given that situation, I suspect the correct answer to your excellent
question is that the packets are fundamentally different when a phone is "looking" to connect to a WAP versus when the phone "is" connected to it.
While I can't control other people's phones, they are set up by Google to look for the "I'm here!" packet (which I'll call the "broadcast" packet).
And while I can't control nefarious stores like the Cannabis store or the Pawn shop, they too are looking at the "Are you there?" packets I assume.
What has auto-connect to do with privacy if you are using your own WiFi
network?
Most people don't understand a thing about wireless networking and how it impacts their privacy, so I'm not surprised you don't know how it works.
I can't teach you a course in networking here, but the simplest way to
answer your question is to first patiently explain that most phones are set to auto-connect to a known WAP if it sees it, and most routers are set to broadcast the WAP's presence, but that's not the situation in my setup.
Do you have a source where one can learn more about this?
It's basic stuff. Nothing I've said is incorrect so it's everywhere.
That allows anyone with even minimum skills to track your every movement. >>> I don't want that.
With even "minimum skills"? How?
Again, this is kid's stuff. It's basic networking. Very simple. Look it up.
On 9/28/2024 1:40 PM, Arno Welzel wrote:
Then live with the consequences.
You make it sound like efficiency is an evil thing for someone to desire.
You make it sound like efficiency is an evil thing for someone to desire.
No, just inconvinient.
Quote: "is there a way to make a home screen icon to quickly connect to
a definite wi-fi network ap (without using the settings)?"
No - there is not. You have to live with that.
It seems only the Pixel has a widget that will automatically connect to a
known unique BSSID/SSID pair
Even a pixel doesn't have a widget *that* specific.
What, exactly, do you mean, by "this"? (See what I mean, below.)
In my sentence "this" means "upload your unique BSSID/SSID pair to
Internet databases".
But I have auto-connect turned off, so the phone is not "looking" for any
WAP, and therefore once the phone is disconnected from that WAP, it stops
sending those packets containing the BSSID of the home router WAP.
Yes, but as soon as you connect, this is not the case any longer. So
your *own* WiFi network will be known.
Given that situation, I suspect the correct answer to your excellent
question is that the packets are fundamentally different when a phone is
"looking" to connect to a WAP versus when the phone "is" connected to it.
The phone will automatically see any broadcasted SSIDs and connect to it
when *when* it knows that SSID. There is no need to broadcast anything
at all.
While I can't control other people's phones, they are set up by Google to
look for the "I'm here!" packet (which I'll call the "broadcast" packet).
And while I can't control nefarious stores like the Cannabis store or the
Pawn shop, they too are looking at the "Are you there?" packets I assume.
You assume wrong. A WiFi router does not send any "are you here" packet.
It will usally just broadcast the SSID and all clients which know the
SSID might try to connect to it.
I can't teach you a course in networking here, but the simplest way to
answer your question is to first patiently explain that most phones are set >> to auto-connect to a known WAP if it sees it, and most routers are set to
broadcast the WAP's presence, but that's not the situation in my setup.
Just name a website where all this is explained.
Do you have a source where one can learn more about this?
It's basic stuff. Nothing I've said is incorrect so it's everywhere.
So then it should be easy to name at least one of the websites which are "everywhere".
That allows anyone with even minimum skills to track your every movement. >>>> I don't want that.
With even "minimum skills"? How?
Again, this is kid's stuff. It's basic networking. Very simple. Look it up.
No - *you* claim something, then *you* name the sources.
On 9/29/2024 9:03 PM, Arno Welzel wrote:
What, exactly, do you mean, by "this"? (See what I mean, below.)
Again, this is kid's stuff. It's basic networking. Very simple. Look it up. >>No - *you* claim something, then *you* name the sources.
This is tantamount to claiming I'm a liar - which - is an unsound
assumption for you since it's clear you didn't even google for it once.
First google it. Otherwise pay me my $200/hour.
If no app exists, that's fine - but the COMMANDS must be happening on the phone, and therefore that series of commands must be known to somebody.
Do you have any advice as to how to find what those commands are to connect to a known access point when that access point is hidden.
On 9/29/2024 9:06 PM, Arno Welzel wrote:
You make it sound like efficiency is an evil thing for someone to desire. >>No, just inconvinient.
Quote: "is there a way to make a home screen icon to quickly connect to
a definite wi-fi network ap (without using the settings)?"
No - there is not. You have to live with that.
Most of this thread was explaining basic networking to people who refuse to google anything that they're unaware of - which is a waste of our time.
To explain basic networking to people who refuse to google it, my fee is
$200 per hour, but this thread wasn't intended to explain basic networking.
I'll ask over in some wifi networking forums if experts know the sequence
of events that are required for Android to connect to a known WAP.
On 9/29/2024 9:03 PM, Arno Welzel wrote:
What, exactly, do you mean, by "this"? (See what I mean, below.)
No - *you* claim something, then *you* name the sources.That allows anyone with even minimum skills to track your every movement. >>>>> I don't want that.
With even "minimum skills"? How?
Again, this is kid's stuff. It's basic networking. Very simple. Look it up. >>
This is tantamount to claiming I'm a liar - which - is an unsound
assumption for you since it's clear you didn't even google for it once.
First google it. Otherwise pay me my $200/hour.
Enrico Papaloma wrote:
If no app exists, that's fine - but the COMMANDS must be happening on the
phone, and therefore that series of commands must be known to somebody.
Do you have any advice as to how to find what those commands are to connect >> to a known access point when that access point is hidden.
I did have a look at the APIs
<https://developer.android.com/reference/android/net/wifi/WifiManager>
But I couldn't find a straightforward call like
wm = getSystemService(WIFI_SERVICE);
wm.setWifiEnabled(true);
wm.connectToSSID("whatever");
It might require code like this
<https://gist.github.com/cp-radhika-s/74d2eb717bad62f39d28a8727708af9c>
This might be what is needed but it might only pick & not connect. ACTION_PICK_WIFI_NETWORK
Activity Action: Pick a Wi-Fi network to connect to.
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