The Distributed Coordination Function forms the basis of standard CSMA/CA (Carrier Sensing Multiple Access / Collision Avoidance) access within an 802.11 network. The DCF first checks to see if the radio link is free before transmitting and to avoid contention, initiates a random backoff. In some circumstances, the DCF may use the RTS (Request To Send) and CTS (Clear To Send) technique to further prevent collisions.
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