Client is Sending Spurious Traffic

WiFi Manager raises this alert when it notices a mobile client sending packets without associating itself to a particular Access point.

When can this happen and what does this mean ?

As per the 802.11 standards a client should associate itself with an Access point before sending any wireless traffic.  Violating this rule a client can decide not to connect to the Access Point but still send out wireless traffic. Typically, this behavior can be attributed to malicious clients or attackers who want to carry a DoS (Denial of Service) attack on the WLAN or to gain knowledge on the wireless network. When normal authentication procedures deny access to such attackers, they choose to inject forged packets into the wireless network by staying unconnected.

What should the WLAN Administrator do ?

WLAN administrator should identify the source (Mobile Client) causing this problem and do one of the following -

• If the mobile client is a authorized user and the problem is because of the client device (wireless adapter) not adhering to the standards, the administrator should check for firmware upgrades and update the same.
• If it is a case of rogue client, locate it and shut it down.