CWS Wireless Client Devices Flashcards

In 802.11 networks, which mechanism do clients use to avoid collisions before transmitting data?

Answer: CSMA/CA with random backoff

CSMA/CA with random backoff (EDCA/DCF) causes clients to wait a random period after detecting a clear channel before transmitting.

Which 802.11 security protocol uses SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals) to replace the PSK handshake?

Answer: WPA3-Personal

WPA3-Personal replaces PSK with SAE, providing forward secrecy and resistance to offline dictionary attacks.

A client reports slow Wi-Fi despite strong signal. A spectrum analyzer shows high non-Wi-Fi interference at 2.4 GHz. What is the best client-side workaround?

Answer: Switch the client to the 5 GHz band

Moving the client to 5 GHz avoids the congested 2.4 GHz band where microwave ovens and Bluetooth create interference.

What is the maximum number of spatial streams supported by an 802.11ac Wave 2 (Wi-Fi 5) client device?

Answer: 4

802.11ac Wave 2 supports up to 4 spatial streams for SU-MIMO, while MU-MIMO supports up to 4 simultaneous clients.

Which EAP method uses a TLS tunnel to protect inner authentication and only requires a server-side certificate?

Answer: PEAP

PEAP creates an encrypted TLS tunnel using only a server certificate, then authenticates the client via an inner method like MS-CHAPv2.

A user's laptop shows a 'limited connectivity' warning after joining a secured Wi-Fi network. Which troubleshooting step should be performed first?

Answer: Verify the DHCP server is reachable and has available leases

Limited connectivity typically indicates the device associated but failed to get an IP, making DHCP the first thing to verify.

What is the role of the PMK (Pairwise Master Key) in 802.11 security?

Answer: It is the top-level key from which the PTK is derived during the 4-Way Handshake

The PMK is derived from the PSK or from EAP authentication and serves as the root keying material for the 4-Way Handshake.