
Chapter 3
Due to the confusing nature of the authentication-frame exchange and in order to simplify the
figures for the sake of clarity, we have omitted this exchange from the protocol diagrams
presented in this chapter. While these authentication frames have little to do with actual
authentication in secure 802.11 networks, we will see in Chapter 10, that these frames may be
exchanged multiple times and the exchange occurs well before an association, thereby making
them an ideal vehicle for communicating information in anticipation of a possible 802.11 roam.
3.2.7 Contention-Based Access
Both 802.3 (Ethernet) and 802.11 use contention-based media-access ...