Hotspot 2.0/Passpoint in a Nutshell

• 802.11u is a 2011 amendment to the 802.11 standard that enables seamless Wi-Fi roaming and network discovery (Independent of the SSID of a WiFi network).
• Although often used interchangeably with Hotspot 2.0 and Passpoint, these terms have distinct meanings.
• While they share common goals and technologies, Hotspot 2.0 typically refers to the Wi-Fi Alliance's certification program, Passpoint is a specific implementation, and 802.11u is the underlying standard.
• In practice, however, these terms are often used loosely to refer to the same general concept of advanced Wi-Fi roaming and network selection.
• In short, it allows your device to connect to a WiFi network without being dependent on the SSID that is broadcast on the specific WiFi network.
• 802.11u enables devices to connect to Wi-Fi networks based on other identifiers, such as:
  • Domain names
  • Roaming consortiums
  • Network identifiers
• So the key takeaway, 802.11u, Hotspot 2.0 and Passpoint are all part of the same WhatsApp group

Next we will look how this is accomplish on the WiFi Access Point.

• With the 802.11u standard there are provision for extra data in the WiFi beacons to indicate the Access Point is Hotspot 2.0 enabled.
• The extra data that

GAS provides the framework and transport mechanism for queries and responses, allowing devices to request and receive information about networks.

ANQP is the specific type of information being transported, which includes details about access networks, such as:

1. Network capabilities
2. Roaming consortium information
3. Domain names