Title: IEEE 802.11 Management Frames
1IEEE 802.11Management Frames
- Gasts Book (Chapter 4)
- Prof. Yu-Chee Tseng
- CS, NCTU
2Introduction
- Establishing the identity of a network station in
a wired network is easy. - just drag wires from a central office to stations
- Wireless network must create management feature
to provide similar functionality.
33 Steps of Management
- MS searches of connectivity
- like finding a wired data jack on the wall
- Network authenticates the MS
- in wired network, this is provided by the cable
itself - MS associates with the AP to gain access
4Structure of Management Frames
- header similar
- frame body (two types)
- fixed fields 10 types, fixed length
- information elements variable length, can be
defined by newer version of 802.11, appear in
specific order - These fields are building blocks of management
frames (and will be assembled later).
5Fixed Fields
- These fields are building blocks of management
frames (and will be assembled later).
6Fixed FieldAuthentication Algorithm Number
- 2 bytes to identify the type of authentication in
the authentication process - only 2 values are defined currently
- 0 Open System authentication
- 1 Shared Key authentication
- 2 - 65,535 reserved for future use
7Fixed Field Authentication Transaction Sequence
Number
- authentication multi-step process consisting of
challenges and responses - 2 bytes to track the progress of the auth.
exchange - 1 to 65,535 (never uses 0)
8Fixed Field Beacon Interval
- to indicate how frequent beacons sent
- time unit (TU) 1,024 us (about 1 ms)
- beacon interval is commonly set to 100 TU (about
100 ms 0.1 sec)
9Fixed FieldCapability Information
- to advertise the networks capability
- in Beacon
- in Probe Request/Response
- stations that do not implement all features in
the capability are not allowed to join
10- ESS/IBSS (mutually exclusive)
- AP sets ESS 1 and IBSS 0 (infrastructure)
- stations in IBSS sets ESS 0 and IBSS 1 (ad
hoc mode) - Privacy
- 1 required to use WEP for confidentiality
- Short Preamble
- 1 short preamble to support high-rate DSSS PHY
in 802.11b - PBCC
- 1 binary convolution coding modulation for
high-rate DSS PHY in 802.11b - Channel Agility
- 1 use channel agility to support high-rate DSS
PHY in 802.11b
11- CF Polling Bits
- STA can set CF capability in Association/Reassocia
tion mgt. frame - AP can set CF capability in Beacon, Probe
Response, Ass./Reass. Response,
12Fixed Field Current AP Address
- to indicate the MAC address of AP currently
associated - STA can transmit this address when associating
with a different AP to transfer the association
and retrieve buffered frames from old AP.
13Fixed FieldListen Interval
- To indicate under PS mode, how often a STA will
wake up to check buffered frames. - unit one beacon interval
- From this, AP can determine
- to estimate the resource required for buffering
- may refuse to serve resource-intensive asso.
14Fixed FieldAssociation ID
- An associated STA is given an Asso. ID to assist
with control and mgt. functions. - 14 bits available (1-2,007 hosts)
to be compatible with Duration/ID field
15Fixed FieldTimestamp
- the number of microseconds the BSS has been
active - for synchronization purpose
- 64 bits (need gt 580,000 years to wrap back)
16Fixed FieldReason Code
- STA may send Disass. or Deauth. frames in
response to traffic when the sender has not
properly joined the network with Reason Code.
ex
17Fixed Field Status Code
- to indicate whether an operation succeed or fail,
with proper Status Code
ex
18Information Elements
- These fields are building blocks of management
frames (and will be assembled later).
19Information Elements
- generic format
- Element ID and meanings
20Information ElementService Set Identity (SSID)
- allow network manager to assign a logical ID to
the service set - STA may scan and join the network with a
specified SSID - SSID is the same for all BSS composing an ESS
- null SSID (known as broadcast SSID) is used in
Probe Request frames to discover all 802.11 APs
21Information ElementSupported Rate
- which rates are supported
- some mandatory, some optional
- indicated by the most significant bit
- 2 1 Mbps, 4 2 Mbps, 11 5.5 Mbps, 22 11
Mbps
22Information ElementFH Parameter Set
- dwell time amount of time in a channel (in TU)
- hop set set of hopping patterns
- hop pattern which hopping pattern in the hop set
- hop index current position in the hop sequence
23Information ElementDS Parameter Set
- which channel when DSSS is used
24Information ElementCF Parameter Set
- transmitted in Beacon by AP to advertise the CFP
parameters - optional
25Information ElementTraffic Indication Map (TIM)
- to indicate which low-power STAs have buffered
traffics waiting to be picked up - partial virtual bitmap 8 2,008 bits
- each bit for one association ID
- 1 traffic buffered
26- DTIM count
- when will the next DTIM frame arrives
- DTIM is for buffered broadcast/multicast
- unit beacon interval
- DTIM period
- period of DTIMs (unit beacon interval)
- Bitmap Control
- bit 0 is for traffic indication of Asso.ID 0
(i.e., multicast traffic) - the remaining 7 bits indicate the offset of the
start of Virtual Bitmap - so we can only transmit a portion of the virtual
bitmap - saving wireless bandwidth
27Information ElementIBSS Parameter Set
- to indicate the period of IBSS Beacons in an ad
hoc network - unit TU
- the period is contained in ATIM (ATIM
Announcement TIM)
28Information ElementChallenge Text
- Shared-key authentication requires STA
successfully decrypt an encrypted challenge. - to be filled in the Challenge Text
29Management Frames
- Fixed fields and information elements will be
used in management frames
30Management Frames Introduction
- Fixed fields and information elements will be
used in the body of management frames to convey
information. - Frame types
- Beacon, Probe Request, Probe Response, ATIM,
Disassociation, Deauthentication, Asso. Request,
Reasso. Request, Asso. Response, Reasso.
Response, Authentication
31Mgt. Frame Beacon
- FH and DS Parameter Sets are mutually exclusive.
32Beacon Generation byAPs and ad hoc networks
by AP
Beacon by contention (D1 random backoff)
Busy medium
by IBSS
33Mgt. Frame Probe Request
- SSID to request a specific network
- if broadcast SSID is used, any network is fine
- Supported Rates
34Mgt. Frame Probe Response
- If a Probe Request encounters a network with
compatible parameters, the network sends Probe
Response. - In IBSS, beacon transmission is distributed. The
STA who sent the previous Beacon replies the
Probe Response.
35Mgt. Frame ATIM (for IBSS)
- When a STA has buffered frames for a low-power
receiver, it sends ATIM frame during the delivery
period to notify the sleeping STA (in DA field).
36Mgt. Frames Disassociation and Deauthentication
- Disassociation to end an asso.
- Deauthentication to end an authentication
relationship
37Mgt. Frame Association Request
- Once a STA identifies a compatible network, it
may send an Asso. Req. - The AP will verify the STAs parameters
38Mgt. Frame Reassociation Request
- When roaming between BSSs under the same ESS,
Reasso. Req. can be sent. - Reasso. differs from Asso. in that it contains
the old APs address, so the new AP will contact
the old AP to pick up possible buffered frames at
the old AP.
39Mgt. Frames Asso./Reasso. Response
- To respond to the earlier request
40Mgt. Frame Authentication
- exchanged between AP and STA for authentication
purpose. - auth. algo. no
- auth. trans. seq. no to track the progress
- depending on what auth. algo. is used
41Frame Transmission andAsso./Authen. States
42Possible States
- A STA keeps two state variables for each STA
- Authentication state
- Association state
43Probe Request/Response
- Active scanning when missing APs
- infrastructure mode probe response generated by
AP - IBSS mode probe response generated by the STA
which generated the last beacon.
44Ad Hoc Network Beacon vs. Probe
STA
STA
STA
STA
STA
STA
STA
STA
(first beacon)
(second beacon)
Beacon
STA
STA
STA
(probe request and response)
Probe request
Probe response
STA
45- For each channel, PROBE is sent.
- Probe Responses from all possible APs are
collected, until Max_Probe_Response_Time. - Then the best quality AP may be chosen.
46Summary
- Building blocks of management frames
- fixed field
- information elemenet
- Management frames
- A probe request/response example