Transmitting network management information in a wireless local area network

An access point (AP) configured for operation according to at least a first communication protocol, the AP comprising:

• a wireless network interface having circuitry configured to:
• generate a management medium access control layer (MAC) frame having information indicating network parameters of a wireless local area network (WLAN) managed by the AP device,
• generate one or more other MAC frames for one or more client stations that are associated with the WLAN,
• allocate a plurality of resource units (RUs) for a multi-user physical layer protocol data unit (MU PPDU), the plurality of RUs including i) a broadcast RU, and ii) one or more other RUs, and
• generate the MU PPDU to include i) a physical layer (PHY) preamble, ii) the management MAC frame in the broadcast RU, and iii) the one or more other MAC frames in the one or more other RUs, wherein generating the MU PPDU includes:
• in response to the circuitry determining that the AP device is allowing unassociated stations to associate with the AP device, setting a station identifier in the PHY preamble corresponding to the broadcast RU to a first value that indicates the AP device is allowing unassociated stations to associate with the AP device, and
• in response to the circuitry determining that the AP device is not allowing unassociated stations to associate with the AP device, setting the station identifier in the PHY preamble corresponding to the broadcast RU to a second value that indicates the AP device is not allowing unassociated stations to associate with the AP device;
• and
• wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the wireless network interface to transmit the MU PPDU.