A municipal team asks when active probe scanning is justified versus passive listening. What is the best guidance?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Active probes shout; passive listening eavesdrops. Probing can flush out shy SSIDs sooner, but it is noisier—so get clearer RoE before you start poking.
Full Explanation
Active probe scanning transmits discovery frames that can accelerate finding of some networks, including certain hidden-SSID cases, at the cost of higher RF noise and detectability. Passive listening avoids that transmission footprint. Because active methods are more disruptive, RoE often must explicitly allow them; they remain wireless techniques, not wired SPAN substitutes.