Wireless routers under test

• US 10,230,617 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2017
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contec LLC (Contec LLC /Management/)
• Original Assignee: Contec LLC (Contec LLC /Management/)
• Inventors: Kumar, Samant, Kumar, Dinesh, Diddimani, Shivashankar, Samaiya, Gunjan, Huh, Ina, Ryu, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M
• Application Number:
  US15/813,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/14 using software, i.e. software packages network security related monitoring H04L63/1408
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system for testing multiple wireless routers independently and simultaneously using different types of device probes is disclosed. The system includes real-time, bi-directional/asynchronous communication and interaction between system components.

Claims

1. A universal tester for testing a plurality of wireless routers, comprising:

a plurality of test slots, each test slot of the plurality of test slots configured to host a wireless router of a plurality of wireless routers; and

a plurality of sets of test connections, each set of test connections of the plurality of sets of test connections being associated with one test slot of the plurality of test slots,

wherein each set of test connections of the plurality of sets of test connections comprises;

a wireless networking test connection configured to test a corresponding wireless networking interface on a wireless router of the plurality of wireless routers,

an Ethernet test connection configured to test a corresponding Ethernet interface on a wireless router of the plurality of wireless routers, and

a MoCA test connection configured to test a corresponding MoCA interface on a wireless router of the plurality of wireless routers.

2. The universal tester of claim 1, wherein the plurality of test slots comprise faraday cages.

3. The universal tester of claim 1, wherein the Ethernet test connection is configured to test a wide area network interface.

4. The universal tester of claim 1, wherein the Ethernet test connection is configured to test a local area network interface.

5. The universal tester of claim 1, wherein the MoCA test connection comprises a MoCA local area network test connection and a MoCA wide area network test connection configured to test a corresponding coax interface on a wireless router of the plurality of wireless routers.

6. The universal tester of claim 5, further comprising a MoCA WAN bridge, a MoCA LAN bridge, and a splitter.

7. The universal tester of claim 1, further comprising at least one web socket for communicating with a user interface, wherein the at least one web socket enables real-time, bidirectional, and asynchronous communication with the user interface.

8. The universal tester of claim 1, wherein the universal tester is capable of simultaneously and independently testing the plurality of wireless routers.

9. The universal tester of claim 1, wherein the test connections are associated with software virtualization containers.

10. The universal tester of claim 9, wherein the software virtualization containers comprise Linux containers.

11. A method for testing a plurality of wireless routers, comprising:

associating a plurality of test slots with a plurality of wireless routers, each test slot of the plurality of test slots having a set of test connections to connect with a wireless router of the plurality of wireless routers; and

communicating between a user interface and the plurality of sets of test connections via a plurality of web sockets in a real-time, bidirectional, and asynchronous manner,

wherein each set of test connections

uses a wireless networking test connection to test a wireless networking interface on a wireless router of the plurality of wireless routers,

uses an Ethernet test connection to test an Ethernet interface on a wireless router of the plurality of wireless routers, and

uses a MoCA test connection to test a coax interface on a wireless router of the plurality of wireless routers.

12. The method for testing a plurality of wireless routers of claim 11, wherein the plurality of test slots comprise faraday cages.

13. The method for testing a plurality of wireless routers of claim 11, wherein the Ethernet test connection is configured to test a wide area network interface.

14. The method for testing a plurality of wireless routers of claim 11, wherein the Ethernet test connection is configured to test a local area network interface.

15. The method for testing a plurality of wireless routers of claim 11, wherein the MoCA test connection comprises a MoCA local area network test connection and a MoCA wide area network test connection configured to test a corresponding coax interface on a wireless router of the plurality of wireless routers.

16. The method for testing a plurality of wireless routers of claim 15, further comprising a MoCA WAN bridge, a MoCA LAN bridge, and a splitter.

17. The method for testing a plurality of wireless routers of claim 11, wherein the real-time, bidirectional, and asynchronous communication of the plurality of web sockets enables a user to control the testing of the plurality of wireless routers simultaneously but asynchronously and independently of each other.

18. The method for testing a plurality of wireless routers of claim 11, wherein the test connections are associated with software virtualization containers.

19. The method for testing a plurality of wireless routers of claim 18, wherein the software virtualization containers comprise Linux containers.