Cisco Wireless Network Design | IEEE Protocol for Fast Roaming

IEEE Protocol for Fast Roaming

Question

A wireless engineer is designing a wireless network to support real time applications over wireless.

Which IEEE protocol must the engineer enable on the WLC so that the number of packets that are exchanged between an access point and client are reduced and fast roaming occurs?

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D.

D.

The IEEE 802.11 protocol specifies the standards for wireless local area networks (WLANs). To support real-time applications such as voice and video over wireless networks, fast and seamless roaming between access points (APs) is essential. This requires the use of specific IEEE protocols that enable fast roaming and reduce the number of packets exchanged between the client and AP.

Of the options given, the IEEE protocol that must be enabled on the Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) for fast roaming and reduced packet exchange is 802.11r. This protocol is also known as Fast Basic Service Set (BSS) Transition and is specifically designed to reduce the time it takes for a wireless client to roam from one AP to another within the same network.

802.11r enables fast roaming by using a pre-authentication mechanism that allows a wireless client to authenticate with a target AP before it roams. This pre-authentication process is transparent to the user and occurs in the background while the client is still connected to its current AP. Once pre-authentication is complete, the client can quickly roam to the target AP without having to go through a full authentication process, which can be time-consuming.

In addition to enabling fast roaming, 802.11r also reduces the number of packets that are exchanged between the client and AP during the roaming process. This is achieved by allowing the client and AP to exchange only the necessary information required for the roaming process, rather than exchanging all the information required for a full authentication.

802.11w is the Protected Management Frames protocol, which is used to enhance the security of management frames exchanged between a client and AP. It does not specifically address fast roaming or packet reduction.

802.11i is the security protocol used to provide data confidentiality and integrity over wireless networks. It is not directly related to fast roaming or packet reduction.

802.11k is the Radio Resource Management protocol, which is used to improve network performance by providing information on the radio environment and network topology. While it can help optimize the network for roaming, it does not specifically address fast roaming or packet reduction.