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WLCP Wireless Local Area Network Control Plane Protocol

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However, I can provide a general overview of the typical control plane protocols used in wireless local area networks (WLANs) and their functions:

Control Plane in Wireless Local Area Networks:

In wireless networking, the control plane refers to the set of protocols and mechanisms responsible for managing the establishment, maintenance, and termination of wireless connections between devices, such as laptops, smartphones, or IoT devices, and the access points (APs) or wireless routers in the network.

The control plane handles tasks related to network discovery, authentication, association, roaming, security setup, and resource allocation. It enables devices to find and connect to the appropriate AP and facilitates smooth handover (roaming) between APs as devices move within the network's coverage area.

Common Control Plane Protocols in WLANs:

  1. IEEE 802.11 Authentication and Association: The IEEE 802.11 standard defines the authentication and association process used by devices to join a wireless network. This involves exchanging management frames to authenticate the device's identity and associate it with the desired AP.
  2. EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol): EAP is an authentication framework used in WLANs to support various authentication methods, including WPA-Enterprise and 802.1X. It enables more secure and flexible authentication mechanisms, such as EAP-TLS, EAP-PEAP, and EAP-TTLS.
  3. DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol): DHCP is responsible for dynamically assigning IP addresses to wireless devices upon successful association with an AP. It helps manage IP address allocation efficiently.
  4. CAPWAP (Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points): CAPWAP is a protocol used in centralized WLAN architectures, such as those with a wireless controller. It facilitates communication between APs and the controller for configuration, monitoring, and management purposes.
  5. WPA/WPA2-PSK (Pre-Shared Key): WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK are security protocols used in personal WLANs. In this case, the pre-shared key serves as the authentication method for devices to connect to the network.
  6. Fast Roaming Protocols: Fast roaming protocols, such as IEEE 802.11r (Fast BSS Transition), aim to reduce the handover latency during roaming between APs, allowing for smoother and quicker transitions.
  7. CCKM (Cisco Centralized Key Management): CCKM is a proprietary fast roaming protocol developed by Cisco for use in Cisco WLAN infrastructures.

Note: It's crucial to keep in mind that specific vendors or organizations may use custom or proprietary protocols for their WLAN deployments. The control plane protocols used can vary depending on the specific wireless network architecture, vendor equipment, and security requirements.