Understanding the Fundamentals of WiFi Probe Request and Response Management Frames: WLAN Discovery methods
For the Wireless devices to efficiently discover and connect to available networks, there are two fundamental management frames that plays and important roles; Probe Request and Probe Response frames. Let's explore how these management frames work together to help your devices find and connect to wireless networks. What is Probe Request? Probe Requests are management frames sent by a Wireless Client device or a Station (STA) when searching for wireless networks. Think of them as your device calling out "Hello, is anyone there?" This frame serves two main purposes: Finding a specific network, you have connected in the past. Discovering all available networks in coverage area of the device. Types of Probe Requests The types of Probe Request is dictated by the length of the SSID field in the Probe Request. There are two types of Probe Requests: Directed Probe Request Broadcast Probe Request Directed Probe Requests: When your device is looking for a specific network, it ...