IEEE 802.11k

IEEE 802.11k is an upgrade of the 802.11 standard with regard to radio resource management( RRM). The specifications developed by the 802.11k working group deal with WLAN control, radio characteristics and have an impact on network performance.

The specifications address signal strength control, channel selection, and selection of the optimal wireless access point( WAP).

802.11k optimizes network performance and allows the wireless client to choose an access point( AP) based on its traffic requirements. For example, instead of using a heavily loaded access point in its vicinity, the client can use an access point further away that has a lower traffic volume. The Radio Resource Management (RRM) used in 802.11k offers some possibilities like roaming, it detects hidden nodes, supports the WLAN client with statistics and information about the RF channels.