What is the Association ID in 802.11 association used for?

• A. IP address assigned to client.
• B. Association ID is used to encrypt data.
• C. Association ID is a unique identifier assigned during association to identify the station within the BSS.
• D. Association ID is the SSID.

Answer: (C)

During association, the access point assigns a unique identifier to the station that stays valid for that Basic Service Set. This Association ID is the handle the AP uses to recognize and manage that specific station amid many connected devices. It helps the AP keep per-station state, route frames correctly, and manage resources like buffered downlink frames and power-saving operations. It is not the IP address (that comes from DHCP later), not used for encryption, and not the network name (the SSID). So the Association ID’s purpose is to uniquely identify the station within the BSS.