What do you mean by continuously? A few tens of packets per second, or a few thousands (or more) packets per second?
I mean a few tens of packets per second
Você pode verificar os pacotes que passam pela sua interface wifi com tcpdump . Acabei de configurar um servidor hostapd no meu pc, então escutei os pacotes:
# tcpdump -i wlan0 -n
tcpdump: WARNING: wlan0: no IPv4 address assigned
tcpdump: verbose output suppressed, use -v or -vv for full protocol decode
listening on wlan0, link-type EN10MB (Ethernet), capture size 65535 bytes
17:59:16.827480 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:17.827496 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:18.827509 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:19.827489 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:20.827561 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:21.039378 IP6 fe80::6257:18ff:fe58:3db.5353 > ff02::fb.5353: 0 [3q] PTR (QM)? _ipps._tcp.local. PTR (QM)? _plasma._tcp.local. PTR (QM)? _ipp._tcp.local. (59)
17:59:21.827492 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:22.827523 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:23.827530 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:24.827605 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:25.827578 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:26.827563 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:27.827576 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:28.827617 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:29.827627 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:30.827605 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:31.827624 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:32.827678 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
17:59:33.827682 STP 802.1d, Config, Flags [none], bridge-id 9000.00:0e:58:52:a5:4e.8001, length 45
Esta é a saída de alguns segundos: você vê os pacotes STP tão importantes alcançando a interface sem fio: o Protocolo Spanning Tree
is a Layer 2 protocol that runs on bridges and switches. The specification for STP is IEEE 802.1D. The main purpose of STP is to ensure that you do not create loops when you have redundant paths in your network. Loops are deadly to a network.
Além do STP, também encontrei NetBios sobre pacotes TCP / IP ,
18:07:43.505288 IP 192.168.73.94.137 > 192.168.73.255.137: NBT UDP PACKET(137): QUERY; REQUEST; BROADCAST
que, sendo pacotes BROADCAST, são recebidos por todas as interfaces, e
18:10:28.970239 IP 0.0.0.0 > 224.0.0.1: igmp query v2
Pacotes IGMP . Existem ainda mais protocolos, como o ARP, que alcançam um AP, mas, como o wlan0 não tem endereço IP, eles não serão detectados pelo tcpdump a menos que a opção do modo monitor -l é usado.
Esses protocolos são responsáveis por algumas dezenas de pacotes por segundo. Você pode explorar facilmente o uso desses protocolos lendo-os em suas páginas da Wikipedia.