How to find the name of a Wi-Fi network in Linux: all the methods for beginners and pros

Have you ever forgotten the name of your Wi-Fi network while connecting to Linux via SSH or working in a non-GUI terminal? Or maybe you need to quickly copy SSID Setting up a new device? Unlike Windows or macOS, where the network name is usually displayed in the taskbar, in Linux this process isn't always obvious—especially for beginners.

The situation is complicated by the fact that in different distributions (Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch Linux) and with different connection methods (NetworkManager, wpa_supplicant, netctl) the commands for getting the network name may differ. Also, if you use systemd-networkd or ConnMan, standard solutions like nmcli won't work. But don't worry: in this article we'll figure it out. all current methods — from the simplest graphical tools to low-level commands for experienced users.

We will pay special attention to cases where:

• 🖥️ You're connected to a network, but you don't remember its name.
• 🔌 Need to know the SSID neighboring network (not your own)
• 🐧 Work on a server without a GUI or via SSH
• 🔄 The network name is displayed incorrectly (Cyrillic, special characters)

All commands are tested on Ubuntu 22.04/24.04, Debian 12, Arch Linux And Fedora 39 with the latest kernel updates (6.2+). If you're using a rare distribution or an older version, check the availability of the mentioned utilities via which or whereis.

1. Method for beginners: Graphical user interface (GUI)

If you have a graphical shell installed (GNOME, KDE Plasma, XFCE etc.), the name of the current Wi-Fi network can be found in just two clicks. This method is suitable for desktop versions Linux and does not require knowledge of commands.

IN Ubuntu with shell GNOME:

1. Click on the network icon in the upper right corner of the panel (next to the clock).
2. In the drop-down menu, the current network will be checked or highlighted. For example: "Connected to MyWiFi_5G".
3. To copy the network name, click Right-click → Connection Details.

IN KDE Plasma (used in Kubuntu, KDE Neon):

• 📍 Click on the network icon in the system tray (usually at the bottom right).
• 🔍 The current network will be marked with a green circle with a check mark.
• 📋 To copy the SSID, right-click on the network and select Connection information.

If the network icon is not on the panel, you may have disabled the applet. NetworkManagerIn this case:

nm-applet &

This command will temporarily launch the applet in the current session. To enable autostart, add it to ~/.config/autostart/.

2. Universal method: team nmcli (NetworkManager)

nmcli — is the primary network management tool in most modern distributions. It works even without a graphical interface and provides the most detailed connection information.

To find out the name of the current Wi-Fi network, run:

nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | grep '^yes' | cut -d':' -f2

This command:

• 🔍 Filters only active connections (active=yes)
• 📋 Extracts only the field ssid (network name)
• ✂️ Removes unnecessary characters using cut

If you want to see all the information about the current connection (including IP, MAC address, speed):

nmcli device show wlan0

Replace wlan0 to your network interface (you can find it out using the command ip a - look for the line with wlp or wlan).

sudo pacman -S networkmanager  # Arch/Manjaro
sudo apt install network-manager  # Debian/Ubuntu

sudo systemctl enable --now NetworkManager

3. Alternative: iwconfig And iw for low-level diagnostics

If NetworkManager not used (for example, on a server with wpa_supplicant), utilities will come in handy iwconfig And iwThey work directly with Wi-Fi drivers and display raw connection information.

Method 1: via iwconfig (obsolete, but still used):

iwconfig wlan0 | grep 'ESSID'

The output will look like:

wlan0     IEEE 802.11  ESSID:"MyHomeWiFi_2.4"

Please note: If the network name contains spaces or special characters, they may be displayed in quotation marks or in hexadecimal format (e.g. ESSID:5Cx7B...).

Method 2: via iw (modern replacement iwconfig):

iw dev wlan0 link

Look for the line SSID: MyWiFiNameThis method is more reliable because iw actively develops and supports new Wi-Fi standards (including Wi-Fi 6/6E).

If both commands return empty output, check:

• 🔌 Are you connected to Wi-Fi (not Ethernet)?
• 🔄 Is the interface specified correctly (check via ip a)
• 🛠️ Are the packages installed? wireless-tools (For iwconfig) And iw

4. View all available networks (including neighboring ones)

Sometimes you need to know not only your own network but also those nearby—for example, to diagnose interference or select a less congested channel. To do this, use the scan command.

Method 1: via nmcli (shows networks with signal strength):

nmcli device wifi list

The output will be in the form of a table:

Method 2: via iw (shows hidden networks and technical details):

sudo iw dev wlan0 scan | grep 'SSID:'

For more detailed analysis (channel, encryption, access point MAC address) use:

sudo iw dev wlan0 scan | less

And scroll through the output using the keys ↑/↓.

Make sure your Wi-Fi adapter is enabled|Check your root privileges (sudo)|Disable MAC address filtering on your router (if scanning doesn't show any networks)|Use iw reg set RU for correct display of channels in Russia-->

5. View saved networks (connection history)

Linux keeps a list of all networks you've ever connected to. This is useful if you need to remember the name of a network you haven't connected to in a while or delete outdated profiles.

Method 1: via nmcli (for NetworkManager):

nmcli connection show

The output will contain all saved connections, including Ethernet and VPN. To filter only Wi-Fi:

nmcli -t -f name,type connection show | grep 'wifi'

Method 2: via configuration files wpa_supplicant:

If you use wpa_supplicant (for example, on a server without NetworkManager), the list of networks is stored in:

/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

Open the file with superuser rights:

sudo nano /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

Look for blocks like:

network={
ssid="OldWiFiName"
psk="encrypted_password"
...
}

nmcli connection delete "SetiName"

This is useful if Linux automatically connects to an unwanted network.-->

6. Special cases: hidden networks, Cyrillic, special characters

Some networks are configured to not broadcast their name (hidden SSID). Others contain Cyrillic characters or emoji, which can cause display issues. Let's look at how to work around this.

Hidden networks (hidden SSID):

If the network is not visible in the scan results, but you know its name, connect to it manually:

nmcli device wifi connect "HiddenNetworkName" password "password"

Or through wpa_supplicant:

wpa_passphrase "HiddenNetworkName" "password" | sudo tee -a /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

Cyrillic and special characters:

If the network name is displayed as ESSID:off/any or a set of hexadecimal characters, try:

• 🔤 Set the correct locale: export LANG=ru_RU.UTF-8
• 📏 Use iw instead of iwconfig (better handles Unicode)
• 🖥️ Connect via GUI (the GUI usually displays Cyrillic correctly)

Network with spaces or quotes:

If the network name contains spaces or quotes, escape them when connecting:

nmcli device wifi connect "My\"WiFi" password "12345678"

Or use single quotes:

nmcli device wifi connect 'My"WiFi' password '12345678'

7. Automation: How to save a network name to a variable or file

If you need to use the Wi-Fi network name in scripts (for example, for logging or notifications), you can automatically save it to a variable or file.

Saving to a variable (Bash):

CURRENT_SSID=$(nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | grep '^yes' | cut -d':' -f2)
echo "Current network: $CURRENT_SSID"

Saving to file:

nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | grep '^yes' | cut -d':' -f2 > ~/current_wifi.txt

Connection check and notification:

Script for sending a notification if the network has changed:

#!/bin/bash
OLD_SSID=$(cat ~/current_wifi.txt 2>/dev/null)
NEW_SSID=$(nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | grep '^yes' | cut -d':' -f2)

if [ "$OLD_SSID" != "$NEW_SSID" ]; then
echo "$NEW_SSID" > ~/current_wifi.txt
notify-send "Wi-Fi changed" "You are now connected to: $NEW_SSID"
fi

Save this code to a file (eg. ~/wifi_monitor.sh), make it executable (chmod +x ~/wifi_monitor.sh) and add in crontab for regular execution.

8. Troubleshooting: Why the Network Name Isn't Displayed

If none of the methods showed the name of the Wi-Fi network, check the following:

If the problem persists, check:

• 🔌 Physically connecting the Wi-Fi adapter (especially on laptops with a hardware switch)
• 🛠️ Are the drivers for your adapter downloaded? (lsmod | grep iwlwifi for Intel, rtl8xxxu for Realtek)
• 🔄 Is the NetworkManager service running? (systemctl status NetworkManager)

⚠️ Attention: On some laptops (especially with Realtek or Broadcom (Adapters) Wi-Fi may turn off when the battery is low or overheating. Check the power saving settings in the BIOS/UEFI.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

nmcli -t -f active,ssid dev wifi | grep '^yes' | cut -d':' -f2 | xclip -selection clipboard

sudo apt install xclip  # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo pacman -S xclip   # Arch

sudo apt install wireless-tools iw wpagui  # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo pacman -S wireless_tools iw wpa_supplicant  # Arch

networkctl status wlan0

⚠️ Attention: In some corporate networks, the Wi-Fi name (SSID) may be masked or dynamically changed (for example, in hotels or airports). In this case, none of the described methods will reveal the real name—only the one assigned by the DHCP server.