How to distinguish between different wifi networks?

Question

If there are two wifi networks in range that both have the same SSID, security type, and password, is there any available ID to distinguish between them? Is there a way to get that ID in android?

Answer 1

You can distinguish them through BSSID - if someone won't assign fixed MAC address they will have for sure different (unique) MAC addresses.

Also they can be on different channel. I think it's impossible if two networks have same SSID, same channel and same BSSID.

Answer 2

You could try to extract the MAC address from the sending networks Router/AP. This address would be unique.

Answer 3

use getSubtype() .

Check out slide 9 here:

ConnectivityManager mConnectivity = null;
TelephonyManager mTelephony = null;
// Skip if no connection, or background data disabled
NetworkInfo info = mConnectivity.getActiveNetworkInfo();
if (info == null || !mConnectivity.getBackgroundDataSetting()) {
    return false;
}

// Only update if WiFi or 3G is connected and not roaming
int netType = info.getType();
int netSubtype = info.getSubtype();
if (netType == ConnectivityManager.TYPE_WIFI) {
    return info.isConnected();
} else if (netType == ConnectivityManager.TYPE_MOBILE
    && netSubtype == TelephonyManager.NETWORK_TYPE_UMTS
    && !mTelephony.isNetworkRoaming()) {
        return info.isConnected();
} else {
    return false;
}