I am running version 22.03.0-rc5, r19523-bfd070e7fa on a Netgear R7800.
I decided to use the "Channel Analysis" feature to see if I can find a less congested 2.4 GHz channel to use.
When I view the 2.4 GHz page of Channel Analysis, I see my "Local Interface" on the currently configured channel, but there is always a lower power hidden SSID on the same channel. It has a MAC address which doesn't decode to any vendor on an OUI lookup. When I change the 2.4 GHz channel for that interface, the hidden SSID follows!
Interestingly enough, the hidden SSID does not show up when I use my cell phone WiFi analyzer (which can show a similar channel analysis).
Here are a couple of pictures showing my Local Interface on two different channels, and the phantom SSID tracking it.
Note that I do not run any WiFi extenders for this node.
Can anyone explain what is going on here? I'm inclined to believe that the hidden SSID isn't real (based on it being missing from my phone WiFi analysis).
I would suggest call wifi down (disable all wireless interfaces) and then to iwinfo radio0 scan (and/or radio1), to check if you can see the BSSID then. If you can, keep your wireless disabled and check with your phone/ wireless analyser again and walk around your home, you'll likely find it at one of your neighbours. Keep in mind that your router likely has considerably better antennas (hears networks from farther away) that your phone.
OpenWrt itself doesn't do this (unless very explicitly configured), but many commercial mesh systems do (hidden BSSID with 'random' MAC address for the wireless backhaul).
I can’t remember how exactly the javascript code worked for channel analysis, but it is possible that channel analysis makes a 2ndary network to actually conduct the scan. And the 8E:49:62:EA:82:25 (seen in the 2nd graph, ch3) could be explained by the webpage remembering listings in the table from the last 15 or 20 minutes.
Either that or you forgot you had multiple 2.4Ghz wifi networks & caught a relatively uncongested neighborhood scan with 2 unregistered identical OUIs with 4 identical octets:
After more investigation, I discovered that the stealth SSID were from Roku devices I have connected. The Roku puts out a hidden WiFi SSID to support the "device cast" feature. When I turn off that feature, the hidden SSID disappears.
