Re: Tutorial: Query the Apple database with Python for your access point BSSID

Char Jackson wrote:
> thanks for the discussion. Happy New Year!

Hi Char Jackson,

Happy New Year to you too!

I agree the simplest solution is to change the outward-facing SSID BSSID.
And I may have been wrong when I previously assumed no router allows it.

I've scoured the net trying to find a router that allows BSSID changing.
 <https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/gl-mt3000-how-to-change-bssid/34977>

With FOSS firmware, the question morphs from which routers to which
chipsets and drivers allow changing the access point BSSID at will.

OpenWrt/DD-WRT can request a custom MAC/BSSID, but the radio driver must
honor it (i.e., option macaddr 'AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF').

Some sources claim these routers allow the BSSID override:
 1. Netgear R7800 (Qualcomm Atheros IPQ8065 + ath10k radios)
 2. TP-Link Archer C7 / A7 (Qualcomm ath9k/ath10k/ath11k)
 3. Linksys EA8300 (Qualcomm IPQ4019)
 4. Ubiquiti UniFi AC-Lite / AC-LR / AC-Pro (ath9k/ath10k)
 5. GL.iNet ATX1800 (Wi-Fi 6, MediaTek MT7915)
Using OpenWRT in this three-step procedure:
 STEP 1: Check BSSID
  iw dev wlan0 info
 STEP 2: Change BSSID
  uci set wireless.radio0.macaddr='02:11:22:33:44:55'
  uci commit wireless
  wifi reload
 STEP 3: Recheck BSSID
  iw dev wlan0 info

Changing the BSSID means overriding the MAC address of the virtual AP
interface, but only certain chipsets & Wi-Fi drivers allow this:
 a. ath9k -> apparently always allows MAC override
 b. ath10k -> apparently allows MAC override
 c. ath11k -> apparently allows MAC override
 d. mt76 (MediaTek) -> sometimes allows it; MT7915 is one of the good ones
 e. Broadcom -> apparently never allows it
 f. Marvell -> apparently never allows it
 g. Realtek -> apparently unreliable or unsupported

So the list of potential routers that allow BSSID changes collapses to
'routers with Atheros or certain MediaTek chipsets that are sold today'.
-- 
There is always a solution that intelligent people, working together, 
can discuss so that every problem we ever run into, has a working solution.