My Journey in Wireless Networking: From Foundations to Expertise

 Let's understand first, what is Management Frame Protection? Based on the IEEE 802.11w amendment, Protected Management Frames (PMF), also known as Management Frame Protection (MFP), is a security feature that provides integrity protection for both unicast and broadcast management frames, while also encrypting unicast management frames in the same way as data to provide confidentiality. Without the Protected Management Frames feature, all management frames are sent unprotected in the open. Transmitting open frames makes connections vulnerable to attack. To leverage Protected Management Frames, both the AP and the STA need to be capable of using it, and it must be activated for each encrypted Wi-Fi network of the AP. If those conditions are met, Protected Management Frames are automatically invoked during client association. Understanding Management Frame Protection Failures MFP is one of the common challenge when working with legacy devices in modern wireless networks. My recent t...

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the WiFi Now Congress, where I was introduced to an amazing  technology by "American Bandwidth"  that promises to revolutionize how we experience wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi DAS. This innovative approach to Wi-Fi deployment caught my attention, and I'm excited to share what I learned with you at the  WiFi Now Congress 2025, at the heart of the Silicon Valley.  What is Wi-Fi DAS? Wi-Fi DAS (Distributed Antenna System) technology addresses the growing need for seamless, secure connectivity across indoor and outdoor environments. Specifically the areas that struggle with the Cellular coverage, Wi-Fi DAS offers a comprehensive solution that integrates with existing WiFi infrastructure and significantly enhances the performance. Key Benefits of Wi-Fi DAS Based on the presentations at the WiFi Now Congress, here are the standout advantages of Wi-Fi DAS: 1. Seamless Authentication One of the most impressive aspects of Wi-Fi DAS is...

We have heard about roaming several times, and understand how seamless roaming experience is important for users with time sensitive applications. This seamless experience is made possible by a process called "roaming" in 802.11 wireless networks.  What is 802.11 Roaming and how does it work? The 802.11 roaming refers to the process where a wireless station moves from one access point (AP) to another within the same extended service set (ESS). This transition should ideally happen without any interruption to the network connectivity. When the station first connect to a Wi-Fi network, it associates with an access point. As you move away from this initial access point, the signal strength degrades. When this happens, your device starts scanning for a better connection, looking for another access point to associate with. A very important fact, which is often forgotten by the Users/Network administrators is, the decision to roam is made entirely by your device, not the Access Poi...

  For the reliable wireless communication ACK frames plays a crucial role; ACK simply means the frame was received by the receiving station and no ACK results to retransmission of the frame. As the wireless networks evolved to handle higher data rates, the overhead of sending an ACK frame for every data frame became inefficient. This led to the development of Block Acknowledgement (Block ACK) which was introduced through 802.11e amendment and it allows multiple frames to be acknowledged with a single response. Block ACK Request (BAR) Frame The Block ACK Request (BAR) frame initiates the Block ACK mechanism and has a specific format with these fields: Frame Control : Contains control information for the frame (2 bytes) Duration : Specifies timing information for upcoming transmissions (2 bytes) RA (Receiver Address) : Identifies the individual MAC address of the STA receiving the BAR (6 bytes) TA (Transmitter Address) : Identifies the individual MAC address of the STA sending the ...

What is Multi-Link Operation (MLO)?  With the introduction of the IEEE 802.11be standard (Wi-Fi 7), Multi-Link Operation (MLO) represents one of the most significant advancements in the modern Wi-Fi technology . MLO as the name signifies, allows devices to establish multiple concurrent links across different frequency bands (2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz), enabling more efficient use of available RF spectrum and significantly improving throughput, latency, and reliability. How to identifying MLO Support in a Beacon? The screenshots below shows the MLO support and capabilities in Beacon of a RUCKUS R770 AP . Let's examine the key indicators: MLO Capability Indicators In the first screenshot, we can see several critical fields that indicate MLO support: Multi-Link Control section shows basic control information with the 802.11be D3.0 tag EML Capabilities Present: True - Enhanced Multi-Link capabilities are supported MLD Capabilities Present: True - Multi-Link Device capabilitie...

 For the wireless communication, reliable data transmission is critical. Two key mechanisms that ensure this reliability are Acknowledgement (ACK) frames and Block Acknowledgement (Block ACK) frames. Let's dive deep into how these frames work and why they're essential for the Wi-Fi networks. The Fundamentals of ACK Frames ACK frames serve a dual purpose in wireless networks: Confirmation of Receipt : An ACK frame signals the sender that the frame is received. ACK could be used for data, management, or PS-Poll frame . This eliminates the need for automatic retransmission. Duration Information : For fragment bursts, the ACK frame transmits duration information to nearby Station(STAs), functioning similarly to Clear to Send (CTS) frames. ACK frame structure:  Frame Control : Contains control information for the frame (2 bytes) Duration : Specifies timing information for upcoming transmissions (2 bytes) RA (Receiver Address) : Identifies the individual MAC address of th...