The current 802.11i authentication process is notoriously slow. Although 11i included optional mechanisms such as pairwise master key caching and pre-authentication to minimize roaming times, these haven't been broadly implemented by vendors. In pure 11i, once a client has decided it needs to roam to a new AP, it must exchange association messages with the AP. After a user's login credentials have been authenticated, a master session key is derived. 802.11r ensures that the authentication processes and encryption keys are established before a roam takes place.
|
|
To speed up roaming, 802.11r introduces "fast hand-off." Authentication occurs only once, when a client enters the mobility domain. Subsequent roams within a mobility domain use cryptographic material derived from the initial authentication, decreasing roam times and reducing load on back-end authentication servers.
To securely cache and distribute encryption keys, 802.11r includes a new key-management hierarchy. In this multilevel setup, the highest-level key holder (a WLAN controller, for instance) has access to the original cryptographic material and is responsible for deriving keys for lower-level key holders (APs). 802.11r's key-derivation algorithms are based on a one-way hash function ensuring that a compromised lower-level key cannot be used to decipher the original master key.
802.11r also tackles QoS. Even if a Wi-Fi device establishes QoS-based resource reservation when it connects to the network, when transitioning to a new AP, QoS is not preserved automatically. An optional mechanism in 11r lets a client request QoS resources on a target AP before choosing to roam.
Pending 6GHz spectrum availability, faster speeds, and private wireless access use drive FWA forward.
The new HPE Aruba 730 series Wi-Fi 7 access points tout high performance, enhanced security, location tracking capabilities, and more.
Verizon is demoing crowd analytics technology that uses 5G along with AI and mobile edge computing to give stadium operators insights into the flow of fans throughout a venue.
