Secure interference reporting for dense Wi-Fi deployments

Abstract

We study the problem of interference detection in dense Wi-Fi deployments, which are a reality in most modern metropolitan areas. Interference among neighbor Wi-Fi cells stems from the anarchic deployment of Wi-Fi access points (APs) and the fact that only few APs can operate at the same location on non-overlapping frequencies. Detection of interference conditions is the first step towards its mitigation. We follow a client-centric approach, where wireless clients monitor and report Wi-Fi AP presence. We focus on the security aspects of such a scheme, assuming that clients may attack the reporting mechanism by submitting fake information. Our early evaluation shows that for certain attacker strategies, simple mechanisms can effectively filter invalid reports with minimal loss of information.