In the context of wireless security, what is the typical effect of MAC filtering?

• A. It prevents unauthorized devices from connecting by whitelisting.
• B. It guarantees end-to-end encryption of wireless traffic.
• C. It automatically replaces passwords on a schedule.
• D. It eliminates the need for a password.

Answer: (A)

MAC filtering acts as an access-control mechanism at the wireless access point by using device MAC addresses to determine who can connect. The typical effect is to prevent unauthorized devices from connecting by whitelisting known, approved addresses. This creates a basic gate that can block connections from unknown devices, but it’s not a strong security measure because MAC addresses can be spoofed, allowing an attacker to imitate an allowed device. It does not guarantee end-to-end encryption of wireless traffic, it does not automatically replace passwords on a schedule, and it does not eliminate the need for a password. In practice, MAC filtering is best viewed as a supplemental control used alongside robust encryption and authentication mechanisms like WPA2 or WPA3.