Node fault identification in wireless LAN access points

• US 10,425,305 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2015
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cambium Networks Limited (Cambium Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Riverbed Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Mathews, Kirk, Gates, Dirk, Rydalch, Michael B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Guang W
• Application Number:
  US14/805,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20160020977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless access point array having a plurality of access point radios, a monitor radio and an array controller. The array controller includes processes, methods and functions for verifying the operation of the access point radios. The access point radios may be verified by attempting to establish a data connection between the monitor radio and each of the access point radios.

Claims

1. A method for verifying operation of a plurality of sector radios in a wireless access point, each sector radio including a directional antenna for establishing wireless connections with a plurality of stations within a respective radial sector extending outward from the wireless access point, the method comprising:

establishing respective wireless connections between an omnidirectional monitor radio within the wireless access point and each of the sector radios in the wireless access point;

transmitting data packets from the omnidirectional monitor radio to each one of the sector radios via the respective wireless connections;

checking data received at each sector radio to determine whether or not the data packets were accurately transmitted; and

identifying each of the sector radios with which the data packets were not accurately transmitted as being faulty nodes.

2. The method of claim 1 where the step of establishing the wireless connections includes a step of attempting to authenticate and associate the omnidirectional monitor radio with each sector radio, the method further comprising:

identifying sector radios that failed to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio as being faulty nodes.

3. The method of claim 1 where the step of establishing the wireless connections includes a step of tuning the omnidirectional monitor radio to each one of the sector radios.

4. The method of claim 2 where the step of identifying sector radios that failed to associate further comprises:

for each sector radio identified as having failed, determining whether or not the sector radios that failed were attempting to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio for the first time;

issuing a radio reset of the faulty node when the sector radios that failed were attempting to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio for the first time; and

initiating a request for maintenance when the sector radios that failed were not attempting to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio for the first time.

5. The method of claim 1 where the step of identifying the faulty nodes further comprises:

for each sector radio identified as a faulty node, determining whether or not the faulty nodes were attempting to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio for the first time;

issuing a radio reset of the faulty node when the sector radios that failed were attempting to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio for the first time; and

initiating a request for maintenance when the sector radios that failed were not attempting to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio for not the first time.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

before the step of establishing wireless connections with sector radios, retrieving a list of active sector radios from a memory storage device; and

performing the steps of establishing the wireless connections, transmitting packets to the sector radios, checking the accuracy of the transmission, and identifying the faulty nodes for each of the active sector radios in the list.

7. A wireless access point comprising:

a plurality of sector radios, each sector radio including a respective directional antenna for establishing wireless connections with a plurality of stations within respective radial sectors extending outward from the wireless access point;

an omnidirectional monitor radio configured to communicate wirelessly with each of the plurality of sector radios; and

an array controller connected to the sector radios and the omnidirectional monitor radio, the array controller configured to;

verify operation of the sector radios by configuring the omnidirectional monitor radio to attempt to establish wireless connections with each sector radio, and

identify the sector radios that were unable to communicate with the omnidirectional monitor radio as faulty nodes.

8. The wireless access point of claim 7 where the array controller is further configured to:

identify sector radios with which attempts to establish wireless connections failed, and

identify the sector radios that failed as faulty nodes.

9. The wireless access point of claim 8 where the array controller is further configured to:

when a first attempt to establish a wireless connection to a sector radio fails, perform a radio reset and make a second attempt to establish a wireless connection to the sector radio; and

when an attempt, other than a first attempt, to establish a wireless connection to a sector radio fails, request maintenance.

10. The wireless access point of claim 7 where the array controller is further configured to:

transmit data packets to the sector radios with which the omnidirectional monitor radio established wireless connections,

verify the accuracy of the transmitted data packets, and

identify the sector radios for which the transmission of the data packets was not accurate as faulty nodes.

11. The wireless access point of claim 7 further comprising:

a data storage device containing a list of sector radios in the wireless access point array.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software for verifying operation of a plurality of sector radios in a wireless access point, each sector radio including a directional antenna for establishing wireless connections with a plurality of stations within a respective radial sector extending outward from the wireless access point, by performing actions comprising:

establishing respective wireless connections between an omnidirectional monitor radio within the wireless access point and each of the sector radios in the wireless access point;

transmitting data packets from the omnidirectional monitor radio to each one of the sector radios via the respective wireless connections;

checking data received at each sector radio to determine whether or not the data packets were accurately transmitted; and

identifying each of the sector radios with which the data packets were not accurately transmitted as being faulty nodes.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein establishing the wireless connections includes

attempting to authenticate and associate the omnidirectional monitor radio with each sector radio, and

identifying sector radios that failed to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio as being faulty nodes.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein establishing the wireless connections includes tuning the omnidirectional monitor radio to each one of the sector radios.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein identifying sector radios that failed to associate further comprises:

determining, for each sector radio identified as being a faulty node, whether or not the faulty nodes were attempting to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio for the first time;

issuing a radio reset of the faulty node when the sector radios that failed were attempting to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio for the first time; and

initiating a request for maintenance when the sector radios that failed were not attempting to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio for the first time.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein identifying the faulty nodes further comprises:

performing, for each sector radio identified as a faulty node, a check to determine whether or not the faulty nodes were attempting to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio for the first time;

issuing a radio reset of the faulty node when the sector radios identified as faulty were attempting to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio for the first time; and

initiating a request for maintenance when the sector radios identified as faulty were not attempting to associate with the omnidirectional monitor radio for the first time.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, the actions performed further comprising:

retrieving a list of active sector radios from a memory storage device before establishing the wireless connections between the omnidirectional monitor radio and each of the sector radios,

wherein the actions of establishing the data connection, transmitting packets to the sector radios, checking the accuracy of the transmission, and identifying the faulty nodes are performed for each of the active sector radios in the list.