1

With reference to the following thread (but without the security issue):

IOS 10 warning: Using a hidden network can expose personally identifiable information

Unsafe or not... Could this be a potential battery thief?

*Edit: This thread was put on hold (because of too little info.), so I add a complimentary question here to mike's answer below...

Are you saying that the "iDevices" are making broadcasts the very same way for not hidden networks as for a hidden ones? In that case, what content is broadcasted for those networks that are not hidden?

*Edit2: Please see discussion below. It would be nice if you could keep this thread open until it is answered.

Community
  • 1
user211030
  • 11
  • What exactly is unclear about my question? – user211030 Nov 24 '16 at 08:05
  • Right now, this question is both unclear and rather hypothetical. The answer to a "could this be ..." is usually a rather speculative yes, which doesn't work well with the goal of the site to provide fact-based answers to real-world problems. If you are more looking for a discussion, the AskDifferent chat might be the better place to be. – nohillside Nov 28 '16 at 09:20
  • 1
    Also, it seems that with the edits the focus of the question either shifted significantly or there are several questions now included in the text. – nohillside Nov 28 '16 at 09:22
  • The "edits" are referring to the answers from bmike below, which are conflicting a bit with the original thread http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/244171/ios-10-warning-using-a-hidden-network-can-expose-personally-identifiable-inform (mentioned above). – user211030 Nov 28 '16 at 14:44
  • But to clarify my question... Isn't the difference here that when the router is broadcasting the SSID the mobile device is good with passive scanning, but if the router is not broadcasting (hidden network) the mobile device must use active scanning? – user211030 Nov 28 '16 at 14:52
  • Still no comments here? – user211030 Dec 08 '16 at 09:35
  • Please see the FAQ for what is on-topic and ways to improve your question. Also, we aim at solving real world problems here, it would help if you can add some details about the problem you are trying to solve. If your objective is to discuss technical matters, the chat room might be the better place to ask – nohillside Dec 08 '16 at 09:40
  • *Edit - Except for the fact that this thread is totally distorted by FAQ comments etc. the basic question shouldn't be that hard to understand... Does anyone here actually know if iOS devices are consuming more or equal power when connecting to a hidden network? Bmike says it's equal, but Phong implies that it is not. – user211030 Dec 09 '16 at 13:47
  • Phong is talking about privacy/security, you are asking about power consumption. – nohillside Dec 09 '16 at 14:18
  • Your edits actually made the question harder to understand. Usually it's better to rewrite the whole text and not just add "edits" (anybody interested in the edit history can look it up anyway). – nohillside Dec 09 '16 at 14:40
  • Yeah right! It would be so much easier if you just let me post in the original thread ("You must have 50 reputation to comment"). I know exactly what Phong writes about, but one thing might give the other... If you just think about it. – user211030 Dec 13 '16 at 11:25

1 Answers1

1

No. The power consumption of WiFi doesn't vary if the SSID is broadcast and shown as hidden or broadcast and shown as not hidden.

bmike
  • 235,889
  • Thank you! Are you saying that the "iDevices" are making broadcasts the very same way for not hidden networks as for a hidden ones? In that case, what content is broadcasted for those networks that are not hidden? – user211030 Nov 18 '16 at 15:12
  • The hidden network is something that is about how the router broadcasts. Apple's devices don't change what's being put out - they just listen in and speak the language being spoken. Imagine a movie theater playing three screens. You could see the movie in French dialog or in French dialog with English subtitles or dubbed into English. The iOS devices are the people - you can basically choose which room to sit in but it doesn't change what the projector is putting out. Maybe a second question is needed to understand what you're really asking or if this is a follow up @user211030 – bmike Nov 22 '16 at 15:01
  • Well, in the other thread (link above) Phong gives us this analogy: – user211030 Nov 22 '16 at 15:46
  • Imagine a driver (the AP) is picking you up from the airport. They don't know you, and you don’t know them. So they hold up a sign that reads, “John Doe.” When you find them, you (the client) go and tell them, “I’m John Doe.” This is what happens when connecting to a broadcast network.

    Now, imagine that driver is trying to be super covert, and doesn’t hold up that sign. What happens now is you have to walk around yelling, “Who’s picking up John Doe?” over and over, until finally the driver steps forward and responds, “I'm picking up John Doe.”

     – user211030 Nov 22 '16 at 15:51
  • I'm thinking active and passive scanning here (which should consume different amount of energy)... – user211030 Nov 22 '16 at 15:54