A method of managing wireless access to a network performed by an access point includes storing a programmable response time for defining a zone of operation around the access point, receiving from a client device a request to associate with the access point, transmitting a probe to the client device, when a response to the probe is received, measuring a round trip time between transmission of the probe and receipt of the response, determining whether the client device's request to associate with the access point should be granted or denied by comparing the round trip time to the programmable response time, granting the request to associate in response to determining that the round trip time is less than the programmable response time, and denying the request to associate with the access point in response to determining that the round trip time is longer than the programmable response time.