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unknown mac on scan

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K7SDW
unknown mac on scan
I have been trying to figure out who or where this MAC address is at in my neighborhood.  I have set my Roof Mirotek node to 0 Db and scanned with the other Roof2 node to receive the following attached.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Greg
 

K7SDW-VC-NP-HP-ROOF2 WiFi scan


          Quit
  SNR Signal Chan Enc SSID Hostname MAC/BSSID 802.11 Mode
40 -55 175   AREDN-10-v3 N/A 0A:BE:62:7A:B2:87 Foreign Ad-Hoc Network
kc8ufv
kc8ufv's picture
Just curious, what are the
Just curious, what are the bandwidth and channel settings on your node? That looks like it may be another node set to 10MHz on either the same, or an adjacent channel...
nc8q
nc8q's picture
We have met the enemy and he is us. Pogo

I have 3 nodes on channel 183@20.
I did a Wi-Fi Scan at 26 dBm and at 05 dBm.
The SNR of the other ends did not change, but the phantom did!
Conclusion: The phantom is my test node.

73, Chuck

 

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AE6XE
AE6XE's picture
BSSID looks like a MAC address
When the first node or one that takes over comes live, an 802.11n "adhoc" wireless network is created.  This network is assigned a "BSSID" that looks like a MAC address.  adhoc is called "IBSS" in the 802.11 specification.    This BSSID is a unique identifier that represents the wireless network that a group of devices are communicating with one another.

When you see a "foreign" or "My" adhoc network in wifi scan, there could have been multiple node's beacons that have been received, and show as only 1 row.  All these nodes are all  saying I am on this particular adhoc wireless network.   Any node with the same channel, channel bandwidth, and SSID, can join this adhoc network.    It is a layer 2 network.   The nodes then setup their IP addresses and create the layer 3 routing with OLSR on top.

Joe AE6XE
K7SDW
unknown MAC n scan
K7SDW-VC-NP-ROOF
Location: 34.179050 -118.958490
Roof Node pointed to W6RH

Help       Mesh Status    WiFi Scan    Setup    Select a themearednblack_on_whiteloadingred_on_blackwhite_on_blackyellow_on_black
Wifi address LAN address WAN address default gateway SSID Channel Bandwidth
10.111.181.87 / 8
10.125.170.185 / 29
none
10.111.80.182
dtdlink / mid2
AREDN-10-v3
175
10 MHz
Signal/Noise/Ratio firmware version
model system time
uptime load average
available space Host Entries
-87 / -95 / 8 dB   Charts
1908-41b5040
MikroTik RouterBOARD SXTsq 5nD
Wed Nov 16 2022 03:10:40 PST
1 day, 21:31
0.18, 0.12, 0.10
flash = 10508 KB
memory = 33656 KB
Total = 1593
Nodes = 577

K7SDW-VC-NP-ROOF WiFi scan

        Quit
SNR Signal Chan Enc SSID Hostname MAC/BSSID 802.11 Mode
67 -28 158   AREDN-10-v3 N/A 7E:BF:EE:F1:91:4A Foreign Ad-Hoc Network
9 -86 175   AREDN-10-v3 W6RH-QTH-FacingWest-5GHz 80:2A:A8:BC:B9:F8 Connected Ad-Hoc Station
8 -87 175   AREDN-10-v3 N/A 0A:BE:62:7A:B2:87 My Ad-Hoc Network

The second line is the node I am connected to and the third line is what I am trying to understand. Does the firmware assign this "My Ad-Hoc Network"  for the third line assign  MAC address because I have my nodes dtd? Or as Joe states this is an assigned MAC for the IBSS  specification.  If so why would it be necessary to have it show up in a scan? Also the first line, I guess is an assignment for my "Roof2" node  as a foreign "IBSS" MAC assignment? Some times I get a scan showing the 0A.........87 mac for a channel 10 mhz down.  Non AREDN transmissions show up as white and not AREDN, so if a Foreign MAC how does one fine out what it is?  Maybe the scan function could exclude the "non essential" MAC addressing if one is trying to determine what channel to set for a neighbor who forgot to put in their lat/long? 
AE6XE
AE6XE's picture
IBSS vs MAC Addresses
Let's clarify the terminology:

MAC Address:   addresses assigned to a manufacture to uniquely identify every network interface device (wireless, ethernet, etc.) they create and sell.  Every device is pre-configured by the manufacture and shipped to have a unique MAC address.  The firmware of the device can change this address (and AREDN does so on some devices, due to conflicting addresses).  MAC addresses are intended to be unique for every individual physical device.

IBSS Address:   an address the firmware of a wireless 802.11 device dynamical creates when establishing a wireless adhoc network that multiple clients may connect to (layer 2).  Every device that connects (in our case with same channel, channel width, and SSID) transmits out a beacon that says, "I'm part of this IBSS address network".    When all (or the original-first-one live?) of these devices in the adhoc network turns off, the IBSS Address is lost. 

A MAC Address and an IBSS Address are 2 different things, not to be confused with the other.   A device will have both a MAC Address on the wireless chip at at all times, and when configured to be on an 802.11 adhoc network, also an IBSS address.    The first device-node to be live on the channel, channel-width, and SSID, will create the IBSS Address.  All the other device-nodes that connect will reuse and have the same IBSS Address.

"why would it be necessary to have it show up in a scan?":   If you talk to a ham in the area, and ask him, is your "My Ad-Hoc Network 7E:BF:EE:F1:91:4A?".   Then you have found a node in this foreign network.   The IBSS Address allows groups to communicate and identify who is part of these different networks in the area.  To see all the nodes in a give ad-hoc network, you need to connect to it and do a wifi scan -- to see all "Connected Ad-Hoc Stations".    

Joe AE6XE
 
K7SDW
So, how do I connect to 7E...
So, how do I connect to 7E.........4A?
AE6XE
AE6XE's picture
"how do I connect to 7E......
"how do I connect to 7E.........4A?"

Change the channel from 175 to 158 on K7SDW-VC-NP-ROOF, then reboot.     The node must be on same channel, channel-width, and SSID to connect to a foreign ad-hoc network.   then, after connecting,  a wifi scan will report all the clients on that network.   Note, the device in this adhoc network on ch 158 has a "-28dBm" signal -- it must be very close to have that signal strength. 

Joe AE6XE
K7SDW
unknown MAC n scan
Thanks everyone..good to know the folks on this forum have all the correct answers
73 de Gerg

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