Disable SSID broadcast, lose WIFI Connection?

random omen · #1 (**permalink**) 06-20-2010, 11:43 AM

I have my 2 stock Evo 4G phones set up to automatically connected to my WIFI n router with WPA 2 Personal encryption. I have also have the network set to filter by MAC address and both phones are on. When the SSID broadcast is on it connects right up. As soon as I disable SSID broadcast the WIFI connection disappears on both phones.

Both phones have factory settings, are revision 03, have PRL 60666 (not that this matters!), and one of them was just hard-reset minutes ago.

Thoughts? Ideas? A quick search of this indicates people may be switching from WPA2 to WEP... I have not tried this yet.

srtpusher · #2 (**permalink**) 06-20-2010, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by random omen

I have my 2 stock Evo 4G phones set up to automatically connected to my WIFI n router with WPA 2 Personal encryption. I have also have the network set to filter by MAC address and both phones are on. When the SSID broadcast is on it connects right up. As soon as I disable SSID broadcast the WIFI connection disappears on both phones.

Both phones have factory settings, are revision 03, have PRL 60666 (not that this matters!), and one of them was just hard-reset minutes ago.

Thoughts? Ideas? A quick search of this indicates people may be switching from WPA2 to WEP... I have not tried this yet.

i had my TP2 set up and tried to tether an Evo to it and the evo won't see my phone but an ipad will... maybe this is why?

i won't be able to try it again for a few days. i also have problems with connecting an evo to anything wifi - it only sees very limited devices.

random omen · #3 (**permalink**) 06-26-2010, 10:31 AM

Bump! I'm still at a loss for this! I'd love to be able disable my WIFI's SSID broadcast.

biscodude · #4 (**permalink**) 06-26-2010, 11:51 AM

You have to manually add the connection, while the ssid is hidden. I think your mistake is hiding it after they are already setup. That's probably confusing it. FWIW, I connect every day to a hidden ssid at work.

I should also point out, that there is very little benefit to hiding your ssid. It's very easy to detect hidden networks, so I hope that's not the only level of security you are using.

**Boo Boo** · #5 (**permalink**) 06-26-2010, 12:02 PM

I havent had an issue.

random omen · #6 (**permalink**) 06-26-2010, 12:21 PM

MAC Filter + WPA2 Personal as well. I'll give your manual add a shot.

biscodude · #7 (**permalink**) 06-26-2010, 12:25 PM

The mac filter is quite easy to get past as well. Really, the WPA2 personal part is the only effective piece of security you are using, but it can't hurt I suppose.

**Boo Boo** · #8 (**permalink**) 06-26-2010, 01:10 PM

also disable wifi is different than disable ssid

random omen · #9 (**permalink**) 06-27-2010, 09:50 AM

So I told the device to "forget" my WLAN, then disabled SSID broadcast, then manually added the network. No dice - it still won't connect and shows "Remembered, not in range" until I re-enable SSID broadcast. Once I re-enable SSID broadcast it automatically connects.

Any more ideas? Hopefully the "WIFI enhancement" portion of the upcoming OTA update will help beyond the anticipated reception upgrade.

biscodude · #10 (**permalink**) 06-27-2010, 11:38 AM

That should have worked, if you specified the security settings properly, but why not just leave the ssid un-hidden? As I already mentioned in this thread, you don't gain any additional security by hiding the ssid. It is extremely easy to see "hidden" ssids. Anyone except a complete novice can do it. As long as you have wpa2 encryption you are secure.