Abstract: An apparatus (101) for accessing an access point of a Wireless Local Area Network, (WLAN) comprises an access message generator (207) which generates encrypted probe messages that are encrypted in response to a plurality of test network identities. The access message generator (207) is coupled to a WLAN transceiver (203) which transmits the encrypted probe messages to an access point (113). The access point (113) decodes received access messages using a decryption key which depends on a network identity of the access point (113). If an encrypted probe message is successfully decrypted, a positive acknowledgement message is transmitted to the apparatus (101). This is received by the WLAN transceiver (203) and fed to an identity processor (211) which determines the network identity of the access point (113) as the test network identity of the encrypted probe message for which the positive acknowledgement message is received.