<Li> IBSS Parameter Set </Li> <Li> Traffic indication map (TIM) </Li> <P> Infrastructure network access points send beacons at a defined interval, which is often set to a default 100ms . In the case of an ad hoc network where there are no access points, a peer station is responsible for sending the beacon . After an ad hoc station receives a beacon frame from a peer, it waits a random amount of time . After that random timeout has elapsed, it will send a beacon frame unless another station has already sent one . In this way, the responsibility of sending beacon frames is rotated amongst all the peers in the ad hoc network, while ensuring that beacons will always be sent . </P> <P> Most access points allow the changing of the beacon interval . Increasing the beacon interval will cause the beacons to be sent less frequently . This reduces load on the network and increases throughput for clients on the network; however, it has the undesirable effect of delaying association and roaming processes as stations scanning for access points could potentially miss a beacon while scanning other channels . Alternatively, decreasing the beacon interval causes beacons to be sent more frequently . This increases load on the network and decreases throughput for users, but it does result in a quicker association and roaming process . An additional downside of decreasing the beacon interval is that stations in power save mode will consume more power as they must more frequently awake to receive beacons . </P>

By default access points send beacon frames every how many ms