System and method for passive scanning of authorized wireless channels

摘要

A wireless device operating under the IEEE 802.11 specifications passively scans for a wireless access point coupled to a network backbone, wherein the scanning is performed using a default set of channels. The wireless device will then determine if the access point operates under an IEEE 802.11d specification, thus providing a country code to the wireless device. The wireless device will then utilize the country code to determine if the wireless device is legally authorized to communicate with the selected access point with wireless signal channels in addition to the default set of channels. The wireless device can then communicate with a selected access point utilizing any of the default set of channels and the wireless signal channels in addition to the default set of channels.