Wi-Fi
Enable an AI agent to recognise a Wi-Fi deployment or connection, assess its usability and trustworthiness for a stated task, and determine which connection or configuration actions are permitted.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise a Wi-Fi deployment or connection, assess its usability and trustworthiness for a stated task, and determine which connection or configuration actions are permitted.
Wi-Fi is a family of wireless local-area networking technologies, branded by the Wi-Fi Alliance, that implement IEEE 802.11 radio protocols so that stations can associate with an access point (or each other) and exchange IP-capable frames over unlicensed ISM and U-NII bands.
It can be Discover visible Wi-Fi networks and compare their observed properties against task requirements.; Connect or reconnect an authorised client using an approved credential reference.; Measure local wireless conditions and test performance against a defined endpoint.; Diagnose whether failure occurs during discovery, wireless admission, link operation or a neighbouring service.; Recommend or apply authorised radio and access-setting changes with impact checks and rollback.; Move an authorised client to another eligible access point or network when continuity and trust requirements permit..
Distinguishing features
Require evidence of an IEEE 802.11 wireless interface, advertisement or link; a generic wireless indicator does not establish Wi-Fi.
Distinguish the wireless link from Internet reachability: a device can be associated with Wi-Fi while upstream services remain unavailable.
Distinguish an advertised network name from a unique network identity: matching SSIDs alone do not establish common ownership or trust.
Distinguish Wi-Fi connectivity from a router or access point enclosure: one device can provide multiple radios and networks alongside non-wireless functions.
Distinguish advertised capability, negotiated connection properties and certification claims; evidence for one does not establish the others.
Scope
+ Network advertisements and the relationships among network names, access point radios and client connections
+ Radio capabilities, operating bands, channels and local coverage conditions
+ Discovery, authentication, association and connection continuity
+ Wireless access protection, network identity evidence and admission policy
+ Observed wireless performance, interference and authorised configuration changes
- Access point, router and client hardware inventories, repair and ownership
- Internet service contracts, upstream outages and wide-area connectivity
- General IP addressing, routing, DNS and application service models
- Bluetooth, cellular and other non-Wi-Fi radio systems
- Building geometry and electrical infrastructure beyond their effects on Wi-Fi
- Credential secrets, user identity lifecycle and organisation-wide security policy
Characteristics
- Observation subject
- deployment | advertised network | access point radio | client connection Prevents a measurement or state for one link from being attributed to the entire deployment.
- Network and radio identifiers
- Observed SSID and BSSID linked to a deployment, radio and observation time; additional link identifiers where applicable Supports recognition while avoiding assumptions that a name uniquely identifies an operator or service.
- Supported and negotiated capabilities
- Separately recorded advertised, configured and negotiated Wi-Fi capabilities, with evidence Determines whether a client and network can use the features required by a task.
- Radio operating configuration
- Band, channel or centre frequency, channel width in MHz, and applicable operating restrictions Affects compatibility, contention and which configuration changes are permitted.
- Received signal and noise
- Signal level in dBm and signal-to-noise ratio in dB where available, with observer, location and time Helps assess local link conditions without treating signal strength as a complete quality measure.
- Connection stage
- Undiscovered | discovered | authenticating | associated | wireless access established | failed | disconnected, with protocol-specific detail Identifies the next useful diagnostic or connection action.
- Wireless access protection
- Advertised and negotiated authentication, encryption and management-frame protection settings; unknown recorded explicitly Supports a policy-based decision about whether connection and data transfer are acceptable.
- Observed service performance
- Throughput in Mbit/s, latency and jitter in ms, loss and retry rates in %, with endpoint, direction, interval and test conditions Tests whether service meets the intended workload and whether a result can be attributed to the wireless segment.
- Radio resource pressure
- Channel utilisation or airtime occupancy in %, associated-client count and observation interval where available Helps distinguish weak coverage from competition for shared radio capacity.
- Action authority
- Actor linked to permitted observation, connection, testing and configuration actions, including conditions and expiry Separates an action that is technically possible from one the agent may perform.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 28 questions.
Network recognition Establish what Wi-Fi entity is being observed and how its advertisements relate to a deployment.
Wi-Fi names, radios and connections are easily conflated, making identity and observation boundaries essential.
Observation boundary
Identify the subject and limits of each record.
Wi-Fi subject
Record whether evidence describes a deployment, advertised network, radio or individual connection.
- Which Wi-Fi entity does this record describe, and what evidence establishes that it uses Wi-Fi? definition
- Which radios, clients, locations and times does this observation cover? boundary
Advertisement and identity
Relate visible identifiers to an operator and intended network.
Network identity evidence
Keep observed network identifiers separate from claims about ownership and trust.
- Which SSIDs, BSSIDs and applicable link identifiers were observed, by which observer and when? provenance
- What evidence links these advertisements to the intended operator or deployment beyond a matching network name? provenance
Radio fit and coverage Describe whether the client and network can communicate under the local radio conditions.
Wi-Fi availability depends on compatible radio capabilities and conditions at the actual place of use.
Capability compatibility
Separate supported features from those actually configured and negotiated.
Usable radio capabilities
Record the intersection of client capability, network configuration and permitted operation.
- Which bands, channel widths and Wi-Fi capabilities are supported by each endpoint, and which are negotiated for this connection? measurement
- Which location-specific operating restrictions or device limitations constrain the available radio settings? boundary
Local radio conditions
Locate coverage observations and distinguish signal conditions from interference.
Coverage and interference evidence
Record directional, time-bound evidence of signal quality and competing radio activity.
- What signal level, noise estimate and link stability are observed at the intended client location, and by which endpoint? measurement
- What evidence distinguishes insufficient coverage from Wi-Fi contention or other radio interference? measurement
Admission and trust Describe how a client gains wireless access and whether that access satisfies the applicable trust policy.
An observable Wi-Fi network may be inaccessible, incorrectly identified or unsuitable for the intended data.
Wireless admission
Track connection prerequisites and the stage at which admission succeeds or fails.
Connection stage and prerequisites
Represent wireless admission using observed protocol events and references to required credentials.
- What discovery, authentication and association stages have completed, and what event or error identifies the current stage? measurement
- Which approved credential reference, client configuration or administrator action is needed for the next connection attempt? action
Link protection
Assess negotiated protection and identity validation against the intended use.
Protection and validation
Record actual wireless protection and relevant authentication checks without treating encryption as proof of operator identity.
- Which authentication, encryption and management-frame protection settings are advertised and actually negotiated? measurement
- Which network identity checks and protection requirements must pass before this client may carry the intended data? action
Service quality and continuity Assess task-relevant performance and continuity while separating wireless behaviour from upstream services.
Association and a strong signal do not establish usable capacity or uninterrupted service.
Workload performance
Measure useful service against a defined workload and test boundary.
Wireless service budget
Compare measured performance and shared-radio pressure with the task's requirements.
- What throughput, latency, jitter and loss does the task require, and what is measured under representative load? measurement
- Which test endpoints and radio counters allow poor performance to be attributed to Wi-Fi rather than the upstream path or application? boundary
Connection continuity
Describe interruptions and transitions between eligible radios or networks.
Roaming and recovery
Record whether movement, reassociation or reconnection preserves the service required by the task.
- During movement or access point loss, which transitions occur and how long is usable connectivity interrupted? measurement
- When may the agent request a roam, reconnect or switch networks, and what disruption can the task tolerate? action
Authorised operation Bound diagnostic and configuration actions by authority, shared-radio impact and verifiable outcomes.
Wi-Fi changes can disconnect clients or affect neighbouring radios, so actionable records must identify control and consequences.
Control and impact
Identify who can change wireless settings and which connections depend on them.
Wi-Fi change authority
Record permitted actions at client, network and radio level together with their likely reach.
- Which actor authorises scanning, active testing and changes to channels, transmit power, network advertisements or access protection? action
- Which clients, shared radios and wireless backhaul links could be disrupted by the proposed change? boundary
Change verification
Define how a wireless intervention is checked and reversed.
Verified wireless intervention
Tie each intervention to an observed problem, success criteria and a recovery path.
- Which baseline observations and post-change measurements will show that the targeted Wi-Fi problem improved? measurement
- How will the previous settings be restored if clients lose access, including when the management connection uses the affected Wi-Fi? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- IEEE 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz, Wi-Fi 4 and predecessors)
- IEEE 802.11ac (5 GHz, Wi-Fi 5)
- IEEE 802.11ax (2.4/5/6 GHz, Wi-Fi 6 / Wi-Fi 6E)
- IEEE 802.11be (multi-band, Wi-Fi 7)
- Wi-Fi Direct (peer-to-peer, no infrastructure BSS)
- Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) enrolment modes
- Enterprise 802.1X / WPA3-Enterprise vs personal PSK/SAE
- Mesh / Multi-AP (EasyMesh) vs single-AP BSS
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of Wi-Fi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Wikidata - Q29635 (Wi-Fi) - Also Q2936399 (IEEE 802.11) as the underlying standard family; do not collapse the trademarked brand with the IEEE spec.
- IEEE Std - IEEE 802.11 plus lettered amendments (e.g. 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be) - Wi-Fi Alliance generational names map onto these: Wi-Fi 4=n, 5=ac, 6/6E=ax, 7=be.
- OUI / BSSID - 48-bit MAC as BSSID (typically AP radio MAC); SSID is a 0-32 octet network name, not globally unique - Infrastructure BSS is identified by BSSID; ESS by SSID shared across multiple APs.
- Wi-Fi Alliance certification ID - WFA certification / CID on certified products (model-specific) - Certifies interoperability against a generation and feature set (WPA3, Wi-Fi Direct, EasyMesh, etc.).
- IANA / IETF - ifType ieee80211 (71); ARP hardware type 6; EtherType 0x0800/0x86DD over 802.11 data frames - Interface and framing identifiers when Wi-Fi appears as a network interface, not as a radio certification.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of Wi-Fi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- IEEE 802.11 (IEEE SA) - WLAN MAC and PHY; amendments n/ac/ax/be and security (802.11i) folded into rollups
- Wi-Fi Alliance certification programs (Wi-Fi Alliance) - Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, WPA2/WPA3, Wi-Fi Direct, Passpoint, EasyMesh, Wi-Fi 6/6E/7
- IETF RFC 5415/5416 CAPWAP (IETF) - AP/controller split for 802.11
- ITU-R / national spectrum: 47 CFR Part 15 (FCC, US); ETSI EN 300 328 (2.4 GHz) and EN 301 893 / EN 303 687 (5/6 GHz, EU); Ofcom IR 2030 (UK)
- IEC/ISO 8802-11 (ISO/IEC JTC 1) - ISO transposition of IEEE 802.11
- WPA3 / SAE and 802.1X/EAP (Wi-Fi Alliance + IEEE 802.1X) for authentication; KRACK/FragAttack drove mandatory PMF in WPA3
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of Wi-Fi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Home and small-office internet access: a residential gateway AP bridging 802.11 to Ethernet/DOCSIS/PON
- Enterprise campus WLAN: controller or cloud-managed APs with 802.1X, VLAN, and captive portal
- Public hotspot / Passpoint (Hotspot 2.0) offload in airports, cafes, cellular complementary access
- Industrial and IoT: 802.11ah (HaLow) and 2.4 GHz STA for sensors; also consumer IoT STA on 2.4 GHz
- Device-to-device: Wi-Fi Direct / SoftAP for printers, cameras, wireless display, and mobile tethering
- Outdoor/mesh backhaul (EasyMesh, vendor mesh) linking multiple APs over 5/6 GHz
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of Wi-Fi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Centre frequency / band - 2.4 GHz ISM (ch 1-13/14); 5 GHz U-NII (approx. 5.15-5.85 GHz); 6 GHz U-NII-5-8 (approx. 5.925-7.125 GHz, region-dependent) - Hz (GHz in practice); channel number
- Channel bandwidth - 20, 40, 80, 160, 320 (Wi-Fi 7) - MHz
- PHY data rate - 1 Mbit/s (legacy) to ~46 Gbit/s theoretical peak (Wi-Fi 7 multi-link); typical STA throughput often 50-800 Mbit/s - bit/s
- Transmit power (EIRP) - often 14-20 dBm conducted indoor; regulatory EIRP caps e.g. 20 dBm (2.4 GHz EU), 23-30 dBm (5/6 GHz by sub-band), higher with TPC/DFS outdoors - dBm (EIRP)
- Received signal strength (RSSI) / SNR - association commonly viable around −70 to −30 dBm RSSI; MCS falls off below about −67 dBm depending on bandwidth/NSS - dBm (RSSI); dB (SNR)
- Latency / airtime - idle RTT often 2-20 ms on LAN; contention and power-save can add tens to hundreds of ms - s (ms in practice)
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of Wi-Fi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Co-channel and adjacent-channel interference (especially 2.4 GHz, 20/40 MHz overlap) causing retries, airtime collapse, and roaming flaps
- Authentication/encryption failures: weak PSK, WPS PIN brute-force, KRACK (WPA2), downgrade to open/WEP, captive-portal spoofing (evil twin)
- Spectrum-rule violations: missing DFS/TPC on 5 GHz, indoor-only 6 GHz APs used outdoors, exceeding EIRP - legal and interference hazards to radar and incumbents
- Hidden-node / capture effect and bufferbloat on the wireless hop
- Client stickiness and band-steering failures; mesh backhaul loops or poor RSSI backhaul
- Physical-layer DoS (deauth frames unless PMF; RF jamming) and privacy leaks (probe SSIDs, MAC randomization gaps)
- Thermal/power: AP overheating, STA power-save causing missed beacons
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of Wi-Fi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- 2.4 GHz: channels 1-11 (US FCC), 1-13 (ETSI/most of world), 1-14 (Japan, 14 only for 802.11b DSSS)
- 5 GHz: DFS/TPC and allowed U-NII sub-bands differ (FCC vs ETSI vs Japan/China); some outdoor channels forbidden indoors or vice versa
- 6 GHz (Wi-Fi 6E/7): US allows Standard Power with AFC plus Low Power Indoor; EU/UK Low Power Indoor and Very Low Power; some countries not yet opened
- Naming: 'WLAN' is common in German/EU technical and regulatory text; 'Wi-Fi' is the consumer/certification brand globally; China also uses WAPI historically alongside 802.11 security
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of Wi-Fi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- IEEE 802.11 (the standard family) - 802.11 is the IEEE MAC/PHY specification; Wi-Fi is the Alliance brand and certification that a product interoperates with that family. Uncertified 802.11 gear is not Wi-Fi CERTIFIED.
- Bluetooth / BLE - Bluetooth is IEEE 802.15.1 / Bluetooth SIG WPAN in 2.4 GHz with a different PHY, pairing, and typically much lower throughput; coexistence is via AFH, not a shared BSS.
- 5G NR-U / cellular (including Wi-Fi calling) - Cellular is licensed (or NR-U in unlicensed) 3GPP RAN with SIM/AMF identity; Wi-Fi is 802.11 BSS. Wi-Fi calling is IMS over a Wi-Fi bearer, not a radio identity of Wi-Fi itself.
- IEEE 802.15.4 / Zigbee / Thread / Matter over Thread - Low-rate WPAN (O-QPSK/CSS), different MAC and typically 802.15.4 mesh; Matter may run on Wi-Fi or Thread - the IP application does not make the radio Wi-Fi.
- WiMAX (IEEE 802.16) / proprietary fixed wireless - Different IEEE working group and MAN/outdoor access architecture; not 802.11 CSMA/CA BSS, despite similar 'Wi-' branding historically.
- Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) - Wired CSMA/CD or switched full-duplex 802.3; Wi-Fi bridges to Ethernet at the AP but the air interface is 802.11 with contention, association, and RF regulation.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of Wi-Fi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- IEEE 802.11-2020 - Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications
- Wi-Fi Alliance - Discover Wi-Fi / Certifications (Wi-Fi 4-7, WPA3, Wi-Fi Direct, EasyMesh) - Brand, generational naming (Wi-Fi 4/5/6/6E/7), certification programs, and interoperability kinds used in practice.
- RFC 5416 - Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) Protocol Binding for IEEE 802.11 - How 802.11 access points are provisioned and distinguished from generic wireless; WLAN-specific identifiers in operations.
- 47 CFR Part 15 - Radio Frequency Devices (unlicensed operation, ISM/U-NII) - US unlicensed-band rules that constrain Wi-Fi power, DFS, and 6 GHz (U-NII) use; regional regulatory neighbour to ETSI/Ofcom.
What the second pass must settle
- Does the registry intend Wi-Fi to denote the technology generally, a deployed wireless network, or a connectivity capability, and which should be the primary model subject?
- Does an existing Vercy world model already own wireless local-area connectivity or any of these bundles, requiring linkage instead of a separate publication?
- How should mesh backhaul, peer-to-peer Wi-Fi and connections using multiple radio links fit within this entry without creating unauthorised registry splits?
- Which authoritative technical and certification sources should establish terminology, capability distinctions and jurisdiction-dependent operating constraints?
- Which workload-specific thresholds and observation methods should determine usable, degraded and unavailable states across different client devices?