Terminology
- Infrastructure: Organization and relationships between Access Points (APs) and clients.
- Wireless Distribution System: connect multiple APs via Ethernet cables to create a single network.
- Ad-Hoc Networks: Network where all devices are equal. The initiating device takes care of AP duties such as beaconing and authentication.
- Mesh Networks: A type of network where all APs are equal, and don’t have defined roles. Mesh networks are most often used to extend a network’s reach in areas where running cable is difficult or impossible.
- WiFi Direct: (Wi-Fi Peer-to-Peer (P2P)) It allows temporary connections between two or more devices to share items such as files, a display, or other services.
- Monitor Mode: Not an architecture, per se, but a mode used by wireless cards that will help us capture Wi-Fi frames and inject packets during a penetration test.
An SSID (Service Set Identifier) is required in all architectures for network verification. + AP set SSID for mesh, WiFi P2P and infrastructure architectures + Station creating the network sets in Ad-Hoc mode
Infrastructure
- Basic Infrastructure
- AP: Access Point
- STA: Station (Phone, Laptop etc.)
- DS: Distribution System (Wired Network)
- ESS: Extended Service (Two or more wireless on same DS) - allows more range throughout an office for example
- Linux: Managed Mode and Master Mode
- Wireless Distribution Systems (WDS) - allows for a DS to travel over Wi-Fi instead of cable. Two connectivity modes:
- Wireless Bridging: Only allow APs to communicate with each other.
- Wireless Repeating: Allows STA and AP to communicate with each other.
- Ad-Hoc Networks - not seen often, also known as IBSS (Independent Basic Service Set), allows two STA to coommunicate without an AP. Both WDS and Ad-Hoc are difficult to set up and manage.
- Mesh Networks - APs act as both sender and receiver of signals via 802.11s.
- Mesh Point (MP): Device establishing link between mesh devices.
- Mesh AP (MAP): Device acting as MP and AP.
- Mesh Portal (MPP): Device providing a link between wired and wireless network.
- DS - MPP (Wire to Wireless) - MP/MAP
- Wi-Fi Direct Application - photo printing, remote displays, file sharing, playing games etc.
- Monitor Mode: Monitor mode is not a wireless mode or architecture scheme, but rather the state of a wireless device that allows it to monitor all Wi-Fi signals within its range.
- Monitor mode is essential for wireless penetration testing as it enables the capture of raw 802.11 frames and allows packet injection.