Chapter 13. Wi-Fi LAN Coordination: ESS and IBSS

Chapter 13 covers a range of topics. We look at the process by which a mobile device is able to find an access point and join the network. This leads to a discussion on how the mobile device and access point ensure they have compatible security properties and how a mobile device might be able to roam from one access point to another which incurring a large delay due to the authentication process.

In the second half of the chapter, we revisit the IBSS or ad-hoc style of network. Such networks do not use access points and present extra problems for security implementation. In this chapter we look at the solution proposed by the IEEE 802.11i standards group.



    Part II: The Design of Wi-Fi Security