What is the default 802.11 authentication method for a STA when using Pre-RSNA?
The default 802.11 authentication method for a STA when using Pre-RSNA is Open System. This is the simplest and most common authentication method, which does not provide any security or encryption. In Open System authentication, the STA sends an Authentication Request frame to the AP, and the AP responds with an Authentication Response frame with a status code of success. After this, the STA can proceed to association with the AP . Reference: CWAP-404 Certified Wireless Analysis Professional Study and Reference Guide, Chapter 6: MAC Sublayer Frame Exchanges, page 181; CWAP-404 Certified Wireless Analysis Professional Study and Reference Guide, Chapter 6: MAC Sublayer Frame Exchanges, page 183.
You have installed a new 802.1 lac WLAN configured with 80 MHz channels. Users in one area are complaining about poor performance. This area is currently served by a single AP. You take a spectrum analysis capture in the poor performing are
a. While examining the waterfall plot you notice the airtime utilization is higher on the first 20 MHz of the 80 MHz channel when compared to the rest of the channel. What do you conclude?
The most likely cause of higher airtime utilization on the first 20 MHz of the 80 MHz channel is non-Wi-Fi interference. Non-Wi-Fi interference can prevent an AP from using its full channel width, as it will degrade the signal quality and increase the noise floor on some parts of the channel. This will force the AP to fall back to a narrower channel width, such as 20 MHz or 40 MHz, to maintain communication with its clients. The waterfall plot can help identify non-Wi-Fi interference by showing spikes or bursts of RF energy on specific frequencies or sub-channels. The other options are not correct, as they do not explain why only the first 20 MHz of the channel has higher airtime utilization.Reference:[Wireless Analysis Professional Study Guide], Chapter 3: Spectrum Analysis, page 74-75
When performing protocol analysis, you capture an 802.1 lac data frame on channel 52, transmitted at MCS 8. At what data rate was the PHY Preamble transmitted?
The data rate at which the PHY preamble was transmitted is 6 Mbps. The PHY preamble is a part of the PPDU that is transmitted before the PHY header and the PSDU. The PHY preamble consists of a series of training fields that help the receiver to detect and synchronize with the signal. The PHY preamble is always transmitted at a fixed data rate that depends on the type of PPDU (e.g., OFDM, HT, VHT, HE). For an 802.1 lac data frame on channel 52, which uses VHT PPDUs, the data rate for the PHY preamble is 6 Mbps. This data rate does not depend on MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme), which only affects the data rate for the PSDU.Reference:[Wireless Analysis Professional Study Guide CWAP-404], Chapter 4: 802.11 Physical Layer, page 99-100
How is the length of an AIFS calculated?
The length of an AIFS (Arbitration Interframe Space) is calculated by multiplying the AIFSN (Arbitration Interframe Space Number) by the Slot Time and adding the SIFS (Short Interframe Space). An AIFS is a variable interframe space introduced by 802.11e to help prioritize medium access for different Access Categories (ACs). An AC is a logical queue that corresponds to a QoS (Quality of Service) level for different types of traffic. Each AC has a different AIFSN value, which determines how long it has to wait before attempting to access the medium. A lower AIFSN value means a higher priority and a shorter waiting time. The Slot Time is a fixed value that depends on the PHY type and channel width. The SIFS is the shortest interframe space that is used for high-priority transmissions, such as ACKs or CTSs. The formula for calculating the AIFS length is: AIFS = AIFSN * Slot Time + SIFS.Reference:[Wireless Analysis Professional Study Guide CWAP-404], Chapter 7: QoS Analysis, page 194-195
Which one of the following is not a valid acknowledgement frame?
RTS is not a valid acknowledgement frame. RTS stands for Request To Send, and it is a control frame that is used to initiate an RTS/CTS exchange before sending a data frame. The purpose of an RTS/CTS exchange is to reserve the medium for a data transmission and avoid collisions with hidden nodes. An acknowledgement frame is a control frame that is used to confirm the successful reception of a data frame or a block of data frames. The valid acknowledgement frames are CTS (Clear To Send), Ack (Acknowledgement), and Block Ack (Block Acknowledgement) . Reference: CWAP-404 Certified Wireless Analysis Professional Study and Reference Guide, Chapter 6: MAC Sublayer Frame Exchanges, page 186; CWAP-404 Certified Wireless Analysis Professional Study and Reference Guide, Chapter 6: MAC Sublayer Frame Exchanges, page 187; CWAP-404 Certified Wireless Analysis Professional Study and Reference Guide, Chapter 6: MAC Sublayer Frame Exchanges, page 189; CWAP-404 Certified Wireless Analysis Professional Study and Reference Guide, Chapter 6: MAC Sublayer Frame Exchanges, page 190.
