Which security feature can cause AP association to fail if not configured correctly?

• A. MAC address filtering
• B. WPA3 encryption
• C. SSID broadcasting
• D. Channel selection

Answer: (A)

Access-control at the device level can block a client during the initial association attempt. When a device tries to connect, the access point checks its MAC address against a configured list. If the device’s MAC isn’t on the allowed list (or is on a deny list), the AP denies the association, so the client never proceeds to authentication or encryption. A small misconfiguration—such as omitting a legitimate device, using dynamic or spoofed MACs, or applying a denial rule to trusted devices—can prevent any user from joining. By contrast, SSID broadcasting is about network visibility, not access control; channel selection is a radio parameter; and WPA3 encryption involves credentials and key exchange, which affect login after association rather than blocking the association attempt itself.