Which security feature allows a network administrator to specify a list of approved devices so that only those devices can join the Wi-Fi network?

Which security feature allows a network administrator to specify a list of approved devices so that only those devices can join the Wi-Fi network?

• A. MAC Address Filtering
• B. SSID Broadcasting
• C. WEP Encryption
• D. Dynamic IP Filtering

Answer: (A)

MAC address filtering restricts who can connect by using the unique hardware addresses of network devices. The access point maintains a list of approved MAC addresses, and only devices whose addresses appear on that list are allowed to join the Wi‑Fi network. This is straightforward to implement for small networks because you can manually add devices you trust. However, it isn’t foolproof since MAC addresses can be spoofed, so it should be used with stronger protections (like WPA2/WPA3) for better security. The other options don’t enforce device-level access: SSID broadcasting affects visibility, not access control; WEP encryption is outdated and insecure; dynamic IP filtering targets IP addresses rather than the device’s identity.

MAC address filtering restricts who can connect by using the unique hardware addresses of network devices. The access point maintains a list of approved MAC addresses, and only devices whose addresses appear on that list are allowed to join the Wi‑Fi network. This is straightforward to implement for small networks because you can manually add devices you trust. However, it isn’t foolproof since MAC addresses can be spoofed, so it should be used with stronger protections (like WPA2/WPA3) for better security. The other options don’t enforce device-level access: SSID broadcasting affects visibility, not access control; WEP encryption is outdated and insecure; dynamic IP filtering targets IP addresses rather than the device’s identity.