Station-to-station security associations in personal basic service sets

1. A personal basic service set (PBSS) comprising:

a first wireless device configured to communicate in the PBSS, wherein the first wireless device includes a first station of the PBSS; and

a second wireless device configured to communicate in the PBSS, wherein the second wireless device includes a second station of the PBSS or a PBSS control point (PCP),

wherein the first wireless device and the second wireless device are further configured to exchange security capabilities of each other using messages other than association frames, and

wherein the first wireless device is configured to establish a robust security network association (RSNA) with the second wireless device (i) without associating with the PCP and (ii) without associating with the second wireless device.

2. The PBSS of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless device and the second wireless device are further configured to:

selectively perform a single authentication procedure; and

perform a single 4-way handshake.

3. The PBSS of claim 1 , wherein:

the first wireless device has a first medium access control (MAC) address;

the second wireless device has a second MAC address; and

in response to the first wireless device and the second wireless device attempting to establish the RSNA at the same time,

the first wireless device is further configured to continue establishing the RSNA and the second wireless device is further configured to discontinue establishing the RSNA in response to the first MAC address being lower than the second MAC address, or

the second wireless device is further configured to continue establishing the RSNA and the first wireless device is further configured to discontinue establishing the RSNA in response to the second MAC address being lower than the first MAC address.

4. The PBSS of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless device and the second wireless device are further configured to establish the RSNA using a common master key, wherein the common master key is (i) a pre-shared key input into the first wireless device and the second wireless device or (ii) assigned by a PBSS authenticator, and wherein the PBSS authenticator includes the PBSS control point (PCP), a station or a group of stations of the PBSS authorized as the PBSS authenticator, or a station of the PBSS configured to install the common master key.

5. The PBSS of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless device and the second wireless device are further configured to (i) skip mutual authentication and (ii) conduct a 4-way handshake to establish the RSNA in response to determining that a same master key is installed in the first wireless device and the second wireless device.

6. The PBSS of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first wireless device and the second wireless device is further configured to include a key identifier in an advertisement message, wherein the key identifier (i) indicates that a common master key is installed in the respective wireless device and (ii) is generated based on the common master key and a network identifier of the PBSS.

7. The PBSS of claim 1 , wherein:

the first wireless device is further configured to determine, based on an advertisement message received from the second wireless device, whether a common master key is installed in the first wireless device and the second wireless device; and

in response to determining that the common master is installed in the first wireless device and the second wireless device, the first wireless device is further configured to (i) skip mutual authentication and (ii) conduct a 4-way handshake with the second wireless device to establish the RSNA.

8. The PBSS of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless device and the second wireless device are further configured to exchange messages other than a 4-way handshake to perform the following at the same time: (i) exchange security capabilities of each other, (ii) associate with each other, and (iii) establish the RSNA.

9. The PBSS of claim 8 , wherein the first wireless device and the second wireless device are further configured to tunnel at least one of the messages through the PBSS control point (PCP).

10. A method for a personal basic service set (PBSS), the method comprising:

communicating in the PBSS using a first wireless device, wherein the first wireless device includes a first station of the PBSS;

communicating in the PBSS using a second wireless device, wherein the second wireless device includes a second station of the PBSS or a PBSS control point (PCP);

exchanging security capabilities of the first wireless device and the second wireless device using messages other than association frames; and

establishing, using the first wireless device, a robust security network association (RSNA) with the second wireless device (i) without associating with the PCP and (ii) without associating with the second wireless device.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

selectively performing a single authentication procedure; and

performing a single 4-way handshake.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first wireless device has a first medium access control (MAC) address, and the second wireless device has a second MAC address, the method further comprising, in response to the first wireless device and the second wireless device attempting to establish the RSNA at the same time,

establishing the RSNA using the first wireless device and discontinue establishing the RSNA using the second wireless device in response to the first MAC address of being lower than the second MAC address; or

establishing the RSNA using the second wireless device and discontinue establishing the RSNA using the first wireless device in response to the second MAC address being lower than the first MAC address.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising establishing the RSNA using a common master key, wherein the common master key is (i) a pre-shared key input into the first wireless device and the second wireless device or (ii) assigned by a PBSS authenticator, and wherein the PBSS authenticator includes the PBSS control point (PCP), a station or a group of stations of the PBSS authorized as the PBSS authenticator, or a station of the PBSS configured to install the common master key.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining whether a same master key is installed in the first wireless device and the second wireless device; and

establishing the RSNA by (i) skipping mutual authentication and (ii) conducting a 4-way handshake in response to determining that the same master key is installed in the first wireless device and the second wireless device.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising including a key identifier in an advertisement message of at least one of the first wireless device and the second wireless device, wherein the key identifier (i) indicates that a common master key is installed in the respective wireless device and (ii) is generated based on the common master key and a network identifier of the PBSS.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

determine, based on an advertisement message received by the first wireless device from the second wireless device, whether a common master key is installed in the first wireless device and the second wireless device; and

in response to determining that the common master is installed in the first wireless device and the second wireless device, establishing the RSNA by (i) skipping mutual authentication and (ii) conducting a 4-way handshake with the second wireless device.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

exchanging messages other than a 4-way handshake between the first wireless device and the second wireless device; and

based on the messages, performing the following at the same time: (i) exchange security capabilities of each other, (ii) associate with each other, and (iii) establish the RSNA.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising tunneling at least one of the messages through the PBSS control point (PCP).