Add _nomap to your router's SSID to have it ignored by Google and Mozilla

Martin Brinkmann
Oct 29, 2014
Security
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14

The service set identifier (SSID) is a unique identifier for a wireless network and commonly referred to as the network name.

It is used to identify the right network when connecting devices such as smartphones, game consoles, media devices, tablets or anything else that supports wireless connections.

The SSID is broadcasted by the access point, a router for instance, which often means that it can be picked up by other devices in the vicinity.

This can result in situations where neighbors or even complete strangers sitting in a car outside your house can (try to) connect to your network.

Since the information are public in nature, they are also picked up by companies. Google and Mozilla use the information for example to improve location-based services.

So, in situations where GPS is not available or reliable, knowing names of wireless networks in the vicinity may pinpoint the location of the user as well.

The information need to be available in a database before it can be used though, and that is one of the reasons why Google or Mozilla record the data or ask users to record the data for them.

Mozilla released Stumbler recently for example, an app that records these information while you walk, cycle or drive around.

If you don't want your SSID to be recorded or used, you can add _nomap to it to prevent that from happening.

Google has a help page up that explains how that is done for some common routers and I suggest you check it out if you have never configured the access points in your house.

What you need to do is load the IP address of the access point in a web browser of choice to access its admin interface. You may be able to find out about the IP by looking at the back of the router or the manual, or by running the ipconfig command on your system.

You need to enter a password to access the admin dashboard, and you find that password on the router or manual as well most of the time.

Once there you need to open the wireless network configuration and change the SSID of the device accordingly.

On my router for instance, I have to select Configuration > Security, and there SSID & Encryption. The easiest option here is to append _nomap to the identifier that is currently in use.

Please note that this is not a catch-all solution. Some companies honor the _nomap identifer while others may not. There is currently no real option to prevent the recording from happening if you are broadcasting a signal.

Now You: What is your take on the recording of access point SSID information?

Summary
Add _nomap to your router's SSID to have it ignored by Google and Mozilla
Article Name
Add _nomap to your router's SSID to have it ignored by Google and Mozilla
Description
The guide explains how to add _nomap to an access point's SSID to prevent companies like Mozilla or Google from recording the information and using it in their products.
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Comments

  1. P. Yiew said on May 28, 2019 at 2:08 am
    Reply

    It’s much later in the game since this article was first posted and now the only thing that seems to have changed is how Google and other stalkers and peeps/perverts have found ways of beating our privacy out of us. Google is taking over the Trashnet and in cahoots with it’s popularity contest of web kiddies pages using all the Google implants, resistance is futile and we are already a part of the collective – like it or not.

    The only way to restore a modicum of privacy is to disable web sites using google addons like Googie Fonts, Google analytics, Tags, ad nauseum and then put all our devices on a fast anchor to the bottom of the *mid-Atlantic, and most of all, keep away from all Facebook zombies.

    * Ok already! Then a fast craft to the center of the sun.

    PY

  2. Mark said on August 17, 2018 at 11:58 am
    Reply

    Doesn’t do anything. If people say otherwise, I challenge them to prove it.

    For example. I am using a VPN and mock gps location app. One particular social media app called WeChat knows my physical location even if I use the mock location app and a vpn. If I am in an area with zero satellite reception like underground or in a basement and use the network location gps mode instead of device and high battery (using Android) plus _nomap, the app knows my actual physical location.

    There’s does not seem to be anyway of blocking Google from knowing your actual location with perhaps the option of using an IOS device where if you disable your location. you actually disable it,

    This SSID rename is nothing but deception.

  3. Alexander S. said on December 17, 2017 at 6:08 am
    Reply

    Leave it open. If a problems ever occurs due to the fact of not even knowing such capabilities existed itll be easily recognizeable who had cause what or whichever problem. And renember to respect thy neighbors wifi

  4. Asdf said on July 19, 2017 at 5:14 pm
    Reply

    If you hide your SSID you will be even more vulnerable.. Please do some research.

  5. DD75 said on June 20, 2016 at 1:15 pm
    Reply

    Works great for me.

  6. Tim said on November 6, 2014 at 3:42 pm
    Reply

    Just been reading the Arstechnica article about how phones, etc. broadcast the SSID’s of networks that you have previously connected to. Therefore when you’re out and about, when these SSID’s are transmitted by the phone to look for those networks, they can be captured and used to look up where your networks are located and therefore be used to identify where you live, work, etc.

    Nomap isn’t really a solution, I’ve just tried using “_nomap” on an ISP supplied D-link router and it won’t let me use it because it doesn’t accept underscores. It just says “Wireless Network Name can only contain 0-9,a-z,A-Z and -“. What do you propose now Google? Will you supply people with a free router that accepts underscores so that they are able to opt out?

  7. Michael said on November 3, 2014 at 9:50 am
    Reply

    Mozilla does not record the SSID. They record the BSSID of the WiFi, which is the Mac address by default:

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSSID#Basic_service_set_identification_.28BSSID.29

    If you append _nomap to the SSID, they do not save the BSSID.

  8. Bazza said on November 2, 2014 at 5:27 am
    Reply

    I agree with Olly, chef & Roebie just turn off the broadcast of the SSID.
    My guess is that no_map is as effective as Google Do Not Track

  9. angelant99 said on November 1, 2014 at 5:02 pm
    Reply

    @insanelyapple,
    i was looking into this recently on a galaxy S4 not wanting to connect to a hidden SSID. I haven’t tried it myself yet, but apparently there’s success found:

    “Go to your Wi-Fi settings, to the page showing available connections, and press the menu button, and select Advanced. Turn off the option for “Check for Internet service.”
    I found that as I walked out of range of my home or work router, the phone was detecting the connection didn’t work any longer – but instead of just figuring out i was out of range, it was marking it internally as a bad connection! That kept it from automatically reconnecting the next time i was in range, and forced me to re-enter the password when I manually tried to connect. I turned off that setting, and haven’t had a lost access point yet.

    http://support.t-mobile.com/thread/44932 (comment 9 on the bottom of the page)

  10. insanelyapple said on October 30, 2014 at 11:03 am
    Reply

    This should be done in opposite way, as opt-in but then it wouldn’t had any sense for them. I also like Gonzo don’t believe they will respect my choice and perhaps they would rather create a database of those who didn’t wanted to be included in this “project”.

    I could and I want to disable ssid broadcast but my mother’s iPhone won’t find wifi then.

  11. Roebie said on October 30, 2014 at 10:03 am
    Reply

    I also agree with Olly. Just don’t broadcast your SSID if you don’t want it to be recorded. After all, you shouldn’t allow anyone on your wireless network you don’t know anyway. And those you do know can ask you for the correct SSID.

  12. CHEF-KOCH said on October 29, 2014 at 8:48 pm
    Reply

    Agree with olly. And how easy it is to update tracking tools ro include nomap? That is only a temporary solution.
    On Android I use chainfires Pry-FI app to generate randome mac’s and disable the ssi spoofing which works quite good.

  13. Olly said on October 29, 2014 at 7:44 pm
    Reply

    My take – If it bothers you then don’t broadcast an SSID at all :-)

  14. Gonzo said on October 29, 2014 at 6:32 pm
    Reply

    This isn’t a solution. This is a lot like Do Not Track. It requires those making the query to respect the “request” of the router.

    I have no faith that Google or Mozilla (mostly a Google entity at this point) will respect my request. Instead they’ll compile a database of _nomap (the owner of this router is hiding something) and hand it to their gov’t buddies.

    Another method for unique identification. Makes me wonder if this was their intent from the outset

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