A method for authenticating comprising: including one or more authentication information elements (621, 631, 641) in one or more respective frames transmitted between a first device and a second device of the wireless network, the one or more authentication information elements including data for use in an authentication procedure for establishing that both the first device and the second device possess a common cryptographic key; wherein the frames include management frames (620, 630, 640) and wherein at least some of the management frames are used to perform a network access procedure or a network association procedure in parallel with the authentication procedure, wherein one of the one or more authentication information elements is included in a first management frame being: a Beacon frame; an Announcement frame; or a Probe Response frame, wherein the authentication procedure comprises: transmitting a first authentication information element from the first device to the second device, the first authentication information element including a first Nonce value; subsequently transmitting a second authentication information element from the second device to the first device, the second authentication information element including a second Nonce value and a Message Integrity Check value; and subsequently transmitting a third authentication information element from the first device to the second device, the third authentication information element including a further Message Integrity Check value, wherein said authentication information elements (621, 631, 641) include either: the first authentication information element and the third authentication information element; or the second authentication information element, wherein the first authentication information element is included in the first management frame, the second authentication information element is included in a second management frame being: an Association Request frame; or a Re-Association Request frame, and the third authentication information element is included in a third management frame being: an Association Response frame; or a Re-Association Response frame, characterised in that said authentication information elements (621, 631, 641) each comprise a two-bit Type sub-field and a two-bit Handshake sub-field, wherein the Type sub-field indicates whether the respective authentication information element is associated with an authentication and association process using a pre-shared key, or whether the respective authentication information element is associated with a re-authentication and re-association process using a pre-shared key, or whether the respective authentication information element is associated with an authentication process using frames other than IEEE 802.11 association and/or authentication frames, and the Handshake sub-field indicates which sequential message is being conveyed by the respective authentication information element. including one or more authentication information elements (621, 631, 641) in one or more respective frames transmitted between a first device and a second device of the wireless network, the one or more authentication information elements including data for use in an authentication procedure for establishing that both the first device and the second device possess a common cryptographic key; wherein the frames include management frames (620, 630, 640) and wherein at least some of the management frames are used to perform a network access procedure or a network association procedure in parallel with the authentication procedure, wherein one of the one or more authentication information elements is included in a first management frame being: a Beacon frame; an Announcement frame; or a Probe Response frame, transmitting a first authentication information element from the first device to the second device, the first authentication information element including a first Nonce value; subsequently transmitting a second authentication information element from the second device to the first device, the second authentication information element including a second Nonce value and a Message Integrity Check value; and subsequently transmitting a third authentication information element from the first device to the second device, the third authentication information element including a further Message Integrity Check value, wherein said authentication information elements (621, 631, 641) include either: the first authentication information element and the third authentication information element; or the second authentication information element,