End-to-end network diagnostics

• US 10,154,423 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2014
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Huang, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Masur, Paul H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael K
• Application Number:
  US14/318,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20150382215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system and machine-implemented method of network diagnostics are provided. First condition information about a wireless local area network is obtained. Second condition information about an access network connecting the wireless local area network to a wide area network is obtained. Third condition information about the wide area network is obtained. Based on the first, second and third condition information, a condition report is provided to a diagnostic module configured to identify one or more network issues across the wireless local area network, the access network and the wide area network based on the condition report.

Claims

1. A network diagnostic system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

obtaining first condition information about a wireless local area network gathered over a period of time in a day;

obtaining second condition information about an access network providing a last mile access between the wireless local area network and a wide area network gathered over the period of time in the day, wherein the second condition information comprises at least one of;

a retransmission rate and a round trip time of one or more packets;

obtaining third condition information about the wide area network gathered over the period of time in the day;

generating a condition report based on the first, second, and third condition information gathered over the period of time in the day;

identifying one or more baseline network statistics of the wireless local area network, the access network, and the wide area network based on historical condition information of the wireless local area network, the access network, and the wide area network gathered previously over the same period of time in the day;

identifying one or more network issues across the wireless local area network, the access network, and the wide area network based on comparing the condition report and the one or more baseline network statistics; and

providing a diagnostic report that includes the one or more network issues to one or more computing devices.

2. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first condition information about the wireless local area network comprises performing a spectrum analysis of a wireless link connecting a client device and a wireless access point in the wireless local area network, and

wherein the first condition information comprises results of the spectrum analysis.

3. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the first condition information comprises data traffic statistics for data communicated within the wireless local area network.

4. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein obtaining the second condition information about the access network comprises requesting diagnostic data from an access network device connecting the wireless local area network to the access network, the diagnostic data comprising data traffic statistics for data communicated within the access network,

wherein the second condition information comprises the diagnostic data received in response to the request.

5. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein obtaining the third condition information about the wide area network comprises:

sending a request to a server on the wide area network; and

receiving a response to the request,

wherein the third condition information comprises timing statistics for the request to the server and the response.

6. The network diagnostic system of claim 5, wherein the request to the server on the wide area network comprises at least one of a network ping, a domain name system (DNS) lookup request, or a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

7. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first, second, and third condition information and providing the condition report is performed at a predetermined time interval.

8. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first, second, and third condition information and providing the condition report is performed in response to a request received from a client device.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining first condition information about a wireless local area network gathered over a period of time in a day;

obtaining second condition information about an access network providing a last mile access between the wireless local area network and a wide area network gathered over the period of time in the day, wherein the second condition information comprises at least one of;

a retransmission rate and a round trip time of one or more packets;

obtaining third condition information about the wide area network gathered over the period of time in the day;

identifying one or more baseline network statistics of the wireless local area network, the access network, and the wide area network based on historical condition information of the wireless local area network, the access network, and the wide area network gathered previously over the same period of time in the day;

analyzing the first condition information, the second condition information, the third condition information, and the one or more baseline network statistics;

identifying one or more network issues across the wireless local area network, the access network, and the wide area network based on the analysis; and

providing a diagnostic report that includes the one or more network issues to one or more computing devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein obtaining the first condition information about the wireless local area network comprises performing a spectrum analysis of a wireless link connecting a client device and a wireless access point in the wireless local area network,

wherein the first condition information comprises results of the spectrum analysis, and

wherein analyzing the first condition information comprises generating one or more spectral or temporal data statistics based on the results, and determining signal interference with the wireless link based on the one or more spectral or temporal data statistics.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first condition information comprises data traffic statistics for data communicated within the wireless local area network, and wherein analyzing the first condition information comprises comparing the data traffic statistics to the one or more baseline network statistics of the wireless local area network.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein obtaining the second condition information about the access network comprises requesting diagnostic data from an access network device connecting the wireless local area network to the access network, the diagnostic data comprising data traffic statistics for data communicated within the access network,

wherein the second condition information comprises the diagnostic data received in response to the request, and wherein analyzing the second condition information comprises comparing the diagnostic data to the one or more baseline network statistics of the access network.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein obtaining the third condition information about the wide area network comprises:

sending a request to a server on the wide area network; and

receiving a response to the request,

wherein the third condition information comprises timing statistics for the request to the server and the response, and wherein analyzing the third condition information comprises comparing the timing statistics to the one or more baseline network statistics of the wide area network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the request to the server on the wide area network comprises at least one of a network ping, a domain name system (DNS) lookup request, or a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein obtaining the first, second, and third condition information and providing the condition report is performed at a predetermined time interval.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein obtaining the first, second, and third condition information and providing the condition report is performed in response to a request received from a client device.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a system, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receiving a condition report that includes condition information about a wireless local area network, an access network, and a wide area network gathered over a period of time in a day, wherein the access network provides a last mile access between the wireless local area network and the wide area network, and wherein the condition information corresponding to the access network comprises at least one of;

a retransmission rate and a round trip time of one or more packets;

identifying one or more baseline network statistics of the wireless local area network, the access network, and the wide area network based on historical condition information of the wireless local area network, the access network, and the wide area network gathered previously over the same period of time in the day;

determining one or more network diagnostic criteria based on the one or more baseline network statistics;

identifying one or more network issues across the wireless local area network, the access network, and the wide area network based on the condition report and the one or more network diagnostic criteria; and

providing a diagnostic report that includes the one or more network issues to one or more computing devices.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein identifying the one or more network issues comprising:

comparing the condition report to the one or more baseline network statistics; and

identifying the wireless local area network, the access network, or the wide area network as a source of the one or more network issues based on the comparison.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

sending a request for the condition report; and

receiving the condition report, in response to the request or at a predetermined time interval.