CWS Wi-Fi Service Sets Flashcards

Which of the following best describes an ESSID?

Answer: The common SSID name shared across all BSSes in an ESS

An ESSID (Extended Service Set Identifier) is simply the human-readable SSID name shared by all APs forming the ESS.

Why does using many SSIDs on a single AP negatively impact network performance?

Answer: Each SSID requires periodic beacons that consume airtime

Each SSID generates its own beacon frames at the beacon interval, consuming shared airtime and reducing capacity for data traffic.

In infrastructure BSS mode, all client-to-client frames must pass through which device?

Answer: The Access Point

In a BSS, the AP is the central hub; all frames between associated clients must be forwarded through the AP.

A wireless network analyst sees two APs broadcasting the same SSID and connected by Ethernet. What type of service set is this?

Answer: ESS

Two or more APs sharing the same SSID and connected via a wired DS form an ESS, enabling client roaming.

What is the primary security risk of SSID suppression (hidden SSID)?

Answer: Probe requests expose the SSID in cleartext during active scanning

Clients that have previously connected must send probe requests containing the SSID in plaintext to reconnect, exposing it to passive capture.

In an 802.11 frame, the BSSID field in the MAC header serves what purpose?

Answer: It identifies which BSS the frame belongs to

The BSSID field in the 802.11 MAC header identifies the specific BSS (i.e., the AP's radio MAC) that the frame is associated with.

A hotel deploys one SSID for guests and a separate SSID for staff on the same AP hardware. What is the benefit of this multi-SSID approach?

Answer: Each SSID can be mapped to a separate VLAN for traffic isolation

Multi-SSID with VLAN mapping allows logical traffic separation so guest and staff traffic never mix, even on shared AP hardware.