SSID - technical definition

(Service Set IDentifier) The name assigned to a wireless Wi-Fi network. All devices must use this same, case-sensitive name to communicate, which is a text string up to 32 bytes long. Typically set to the equipment vendor's name, such as "linksys," it can be manually changed by going into the configuration settings of the access point with a Web browser. The client machines will identify all the wireless networks they find when they boot up, unless the networks are hidden (see SSID broadcast). See wireless LAN.