Active scanning is generally faster than passive scanning, particularly when the STA is seeking a specific network or attempting to roam quickly.
Attackers can flood a specific channel with probe requests to consume airtime and processing power on APs, potentially disrupting service for legitimate clients. probe request frame
The Probe Request frame is a fundamental component of Wi-Fi connectivity, enabling rapid network discovery and seamless roaming. However, its unencrypted nature makes it a double-edged sword; while essential for network logic, it serves as a primary data source for surveillance and device fingerprinting. As privacy concerns grow, the evolution of probe request handling—specifically MAC randomization and encrypted Wi-Fi pre-association discovery—remains a critical area of protocol development. Active scanning is generally faster than passive scanning,
| Scenario | SSID in Probe Request | Purpose | |----------|----------------------|---------| | User clicks “Scan for networks” | Empty (broadcast) | Discover all visible Wi-Fi | | Phone auto-connects to “HomeNet” | HomeNet | Locate only that specific AP | | Wi-Fi analyzer app | Empty | Map signal strengths of all APs | | Hidden SSID network | HiddenNet | Force hidden AP to respond | However, its unencrypted nature makes it a double-edged