A WPA2-PSK municipal kiosk AP shows no associated clients overnight, and the rules of engagement forbid deauthentication. Why might handshake-based recovery be blocked until later?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
No clients means no dance to record—if deauth is off-limits, you wait for someone to reconnect. Beacons keep advertising; they do not hand you a finished 4-way. Come back when the kiosks wake up.
Full Explanation
Offline PSK recovery classes generally need a complete 4-way handshake (or equivalent approved material). A clientless AP yields beacons and management noise but not that handshake until a station authenticates. If engagement rules ban forcing reauthentication, assessors must wait for natural activity. Silence does not destroy the PMK forever, and beacons do not replace handshake material.