Wireless devices use the same networking protocol as are used by their wired counterparts, and operate on using the CSMA/CA networking scheme. CSMA srands for Carrier Sense Multiple Access, which is a standard to define certain protocols to detect the collision of data packets on the network. The CA stands for collision avoidance scheme. Wireless nodes listen in on the wireless medium to see if another node is currently broadcasting data. If so, then broadcasting node it waits for a random amount of time before sending data to the intended node. This is done to avoid data collision on the network.

Since wireless nodes have a more difficult time in detecting data collisions, however, they offer the option of using the Request to send/Clear to send (RTS/CTS) protocol. When enabled, a transmitting node checks whether .the wireless medium is clear to use or send data. To do so, the transmitting node sends an RTS frame to the receiving node. In response, the receiving node responds with aCTS frame, telling the sending node that it is okay to transmit. On receiving the CTS, the transmitting node sends the data and waits for an acknowledgement (ACK) from the receiving node before sending the next data packet. This entire cycle of exchanging frames arid acknowledgements takes place until entire data is delivered from t~ansmitting node to receiving node.