Does each node in a Wi-Fi mesh system broadcast its own separate SSID?

Question

From previous experience of both setting up and managing Wi-Fi extenders, my understanding from carrying out scans of the 2.4/5GHz bands is that each extender broadcasts its own SSID - however, I'm less familiar with consumer mesh systems. Assuming that a mesh was set up that included 4 nodes, would carrying out a scan at the time the mesh was running show a single SSID or 4 separate SSIDs all broadcasting the same name?

Answer 1

No, the purpose of a mesh system is to use a common SSID (so clients can roam.) The nodes do have distinct BSSIDs. In fact, an access point may have multiple BSSIDs if it has more than one radio and/or serves multiple SSIDs to separate clients into different groups / WLANs.

EDIT: Juniper broke all their wireless documentation links. Here is a new video link on their Juniper Mist (wireless products) site.

In short, a BSSID is a MAC address which should uniquely identify a single AP-radio instance of an SSID. One AP could have many BSSIDs if it broadcasts several SSIDs or has several radios, or both.

The BSSID can be used to figure out which AP you're connected to when several are broadcasting the same SSID, like in a hotel or campus network -- or a home mesh system.