What does the Service Set Identifier (SSID) signify in a wireless local area network?

The Service Set Identifier (SSID) serves as a unique identifier that labels a wireless local area network (WLAN). It is essentially the name of the network that users see when they search for available Wi-Fi connections on their devices. The SSID distinguishes one network from another, allowing devices to connect to the correct network among potentially many others in the vicinity. Each SSID can be up to 32 characters long and can be customized to make a network easily recognizable.

While concepts such as security levels, types of encryption, and range are important in understanding wireless networks, they do not pertain to what the SSID itself signifies. Security levels and encryption types are classifications or methods used to protect the network, which are separate elements from the SSID. The range of the wireless network relates to the physical limitations of how far the signal can travel but does not give any indication of the network's name or identity. Thus, the SSID's primary role is simply that of a unique label for each wireless network.