Mechanisms and methods for providing a mobile/wireless device with protection against false access-point/base-station attacks using MAC address protection are presented. The mobile/wireless device known as mobile client (MC) gains access to wireless network by discovering and selectively associating with an access point (AP). The MAC addresses of both the AP and the MC are protected during all communications between the AP and MC during the discovery phase. This protection mitigates MAC address spoofing type attacks on both the AP and the MC.