diff --git a/sys/dev/iwn/if_iwn.c b/sys/dev/iwn/if_iwn.c
--- a/sys/dev/iwn/if_iwn.c
+++ b/sys/dev/iwn/if_iwn.c
@@ -6660,7 +6660,7 @@
 
 	if (IEEE80211_IS_CHAN_HT40(c)) {
 		switch (vap->iv_curhtprotmode) {
-		case IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_HT20PR:
+		case IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_20MHZ:
 			htflags |= IWN_RXON_HT_MODEPURE40;
 			break;
 		default:
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211.h b/sys/net80211/ieee80211.h
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211.h
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211.h
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
  *
  * Copyright (c) 2001 Atsushi Onoe
  * Copyright (c) 2002-2009 Sam Leffler, Errno Consulting
+ * Copyright (c) 2024 The FreeBSD Foundation
+ *
+ * Portions of this software were developed by Cheng Cui
+ * <cc@FreeBSD.org> under sponsorship from the FreeBSD Foundation.
  * All rights reserved.
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -801,12 +805,14 @@
 /* XXX add rest */
 
 /* bytes 2+3 */
-#define	IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE		0x03	/* operating mode */
+/* 802.11-2012, Table 8-130-HT Operation element fields and subfields, HT Protection */
+#define	IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE		0x03	/* operating mode mask */
 #define	IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_S	0
-#define	IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PURE	0x00	/* no protection */
-#define	IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTOPT	0x01	/* protection optional */
-#define	IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_HT20PR	0x02	/* protection for HT20 sta's */
-#define	IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_MIXED	0x03	/* protection for legacy sta's*/
+#define	    IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONE		0	/* for no protection mode */
+#define	    IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONMEMBER	1	/* for nonmember protection mode */
+#define	    IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_20MHZ		2	/* for 20 MHz protection mode */
+#define	    IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONHT_MIXED	3	/* for non-HT mixed mode */
+
 #define	IEEE80211_HTINFO_NONGF_PRESENT	0x04	/* non-GF sta's present */
 #define	IEEE80211_HTINFO_TXBL		0x08	/* transmit burst limit */
 #define	IEEE80211_HTINFO_NONHT_PRESENT	0x10	/* non-HT sta's present */
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_hostap.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_hostap.c
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_hostap.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_hostap.c
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause
  *
  * Copyright (c) 2007-2008 Sam Leffler, Errno Consulting
+ * Copyright (c) 2024 The FreeBSD Foundation
+ *
+ * Portions of this software were developed by Cheng Cui
+ * <cc@FreeBSD.org> under sponsorship from the FreeBSD Foundation.
  * All rights reserved.
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -1735,7 +1739,7 @@
 	const struct ieee80211_ie_htinfo *ht =
 	    (const struct ieee80211_ie_htinfo *) ie;
 	return (ht->hi_byte2 & IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE) ==
-	    IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_MIXED;
+	    IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONHT_MIXED;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1865,12 +1869,12 @@
 			}
 			if (scan.htinfo == NULL) {
 				ieee80211_htprot_update(vap,
-				    IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTOPT |
+				    IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONMEMBER |
 				    IEEE80211_HTINFO_NONHT_PRESENT);
 			} else if (ishtmixed(scan.htinfo)) {
 				/* XXX? take NONHT_PRESENT from beacon? */
 				ieee80211_htprot_update(vap,
-				    IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_MIXED |
+				    IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONHT_MIXED |
 				    IEEE80211_HTINFO_NONHT_PRESENT);
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_ht.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_ht.c
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_ht.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_ht.c
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause
  *
  * Copyright (c) 2007-2008 Sam Leffler, Errno Consulting
+ * Copyright (c) 2024 The FreeBSD Foundation
+ *
+ * Portions of this software were developed by Cheng Cui
+ * <cc@FreeBSD.org> under sponsorship from the FreeBSD Foundation.
  * All rights reserved.
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -238,7 +242,7 @@
 	ic->ic_ampdu_rx_stop = ampdu_rx_stop;
 
 	ic->ic_htprotmode = IEEE80211_PROT_RTSCTS;
-	ic->ic_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PURE;
+	ic->ic_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONE;
 }
 
 void
@@ -262,7 +266,7 @@
 	vap->iv_ampdu_mintraffic[WME_AC_VI] = 32;
 
 	vap->iv_htprotmode = IEEE80211_PROT_RTSCTS;
-	vap->iv_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PURE;
+	vap->iv_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONE;
 
 	if (vap->iv_htcaps & IEEE80211_HTC_HT) {
 		/*
@@ -1546,17 +1550,17 @@
 	uint8_t protmode;
 
 	if (vap->iv_sta_assoc != vap->iv_ht_sta_assoc) {
-		protmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_MIXED
+		protmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONHT_MIXED
 			 | IEEE80211_HTINFO_NONHT_PRESENT;
 	} else if (vap->iv_flags_ht & IEEE80211_FHT_NONHT_PR) {
-		protmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTOPT
+		protmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONMEMBER
 			 | IEEE80211_HTINFO_NONHT_PRESENT;
 	} else if (ic->ic_bsschan != IEEE80211_CHAN_ANYC &&
 	    IEEE80211_IS_CHAN_HT40(ic->ic_bsschan) && 
 	    vap->iv_sta_assoc != vap->iv_ht40_sta_assoc) {
-		protmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_HT20PR;
+		protmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_20MHZ;
 	} else {
-		protmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PURE;
+		protmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONE;
 	}
 	if (protmode != vap->iv_curhtprotmode) {
 		vap->iv_curhtprotmode = protmode;
@@ -1605,9 +1609,9 @@
  * Public version of htinfo_update; used for processing
  * beacon frames from overlapping bss.
  *
- * Caller can specify either IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_MIXED
+ * Caller can specify either IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONHT_MIXED
  * (on receipt of a beacon that advertises MIXED) or
- * IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTOPT (on receipt of a beacon
+ * IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONMEMBER (on receipt of a beacon
  * from an overlapping legacy bss).  We treat MIXED with
  * a higher precedence than PROTOPT (i.e. we will not change
  * change PROTOPT -> MIXED; only MIXED -> PROTOPT).  This
@@ -1628,8 +1632,8 @@
 	vap->iv_lastnonht = ticks;
 
 	if (protmode != vap->iv_curhtprotmode &&
-	    (OPMODE(vap->iv_curhtprotmode) != IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_MIXED ||
-	     OPMODE(protmode) == IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTOPT)) {
+	    (OPMODE(vap->iv_curhtprotmode) != IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONHT_MIXED ||
+	     OPMODE(protmode) == IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONMEMBER)) {
 		vap->iv_curhtprotmode = protmode;
 		/* Update VAP with new protection mode */
 		ieee80211_vap_update_ht_protmode(vap);
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_proto.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_proto.c
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_proto.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_proto.c
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
  * Copyright (c) 2001 Atsushi Onoe
  * Copyright (c) 2002-2008 Sam Leffler, Errno Consulting
  * Copyright (c) 2012 IEEE
+ * Copyright (c) 2024 The FreeBSD Foundation
+ *
+ * Portions of this software were developed by Cheng Cui
+ * <cc@FreeBSD.org> under sponsorship from the FreeBSD Foundation.
  * All rights reserved.
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -1095,13 +1099,13 @@
 		if (iv->iv_curhtprotmode & IEEE80211_HTINFO_NONHT_PRESENT)
 			num_nonhtpr++;
 		switch (iv->iv_curhtprotmode & IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE) {
-		case IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PURE:
+		case IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONE:
 			num_pure++;
 			break;
-		case IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTOPT:
+		case IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONMEMBER:
 			num_optional++;
 			break;
-		case IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_HT20PR:
+		case IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_20MHZ:
 			num_ht2040++;
 			break;
 		}
@@ -1143,13 +1147,13 @@
 	 *   non HT40-involved combination of opmode and this is the most
 	 *   sensible default.
 	 */
-	ic->ic_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_MIXED;
+	ic->ic_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONHT_MIXED;
 
 	if (num_pure == num_vaps)
-		ic->ic_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PURE;
+		ic->ic_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONE;
 
 	if (num_optional == num_vaps)
-		ic->ic_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTOPT;
+		ic->ic_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONMEMBER;
 
 	/*
 	 * Note: we need /a/ HT40 station somewhere for this to
@@ -1158,14 +1162,14 @@
 	if ((num_ht2040 > 0) ||
 	    ((num_ht_sta > 0) && (num_ht40_sta > 0) &&
 	     (num_ht_sta != num_ht40_sta)))
-		ic->ic_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_HT20PR;
+		ic->ic_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_20MHZ;
 
 	/*
 	 * Step 3 - if any of the stations across the VAPs are
 	 * non-HT then this needs to be flipped back to MIXED.
 	 */
 	if (num_ht_sta != num_sta)
-		ic->ic_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_MIXED;
+		ic->ic_curhtprotmode = IEEE80211_HTINFO_OPMODE_PROTECTION_NONHT_MIXED;
 
 	/*
 	 * Step 4 - If we see any overlapping BSS non-HT stations