Wireless local area network channel resource management

• US 20030117986A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thermond, Jeffrey L., Martin, Richard G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/00 Network traffic management; Network resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A wired Local Area Network (wired LAN) and a plurality of Wireless Access Points (WAPs) coupled to a wired network infrastructure of the wired LAN service wireless packetized communications for a plurality of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) clients. A multi-layer switch of the wired LAN monitors packetized communications serviced by a WAP of the plurality of WAPs. Based upon the monitoring, the multi-layer switch determines that a WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds a usage threshold. Based upon the determination the wireless capacity provided to the wireless terminal by the WAP is reduced. Reducing the wireless capacity provided to the WLAN client by the WAP includes directing the WAP to reduce a Class of Service (CoS) provided to the WLAN client. Reducing the wireless capacity provided to the WLAN client by the WAP may include introducing round trip delay into packetized communications serviced by the multi-layer switch to reduce the rate at which corresponding higher layer communication protocols apply data.

Claims

1. A method for servicing Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) clients by a wired Local Area Network (wired LAN) and a plurality of Wireless Access Points (WAPs), the method comprising:

wirelessly servicing, by a WAP of the plurality of WAPs and a multi-layer switch of the wired LAN, packetized communications for a plurality of WLAN clients;

monitoring, by the multi-layer switch, packetized communications serviced by the WAP;

based upon the monitoring by the multi-layer switch, determining that a WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds a usage threshold; and

based upon the determination, reducing the wireless capacity provided to the WLAN client by the WAP.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein reducing the wireless capacity provided to the WLAN client by reducing a Class of Service (CoS) provided to the WLAN client by the WAP.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reducing the wireless capacity provided to the WLAN client by the WAP includes introducing round trip delay into packetized communications serviced by the multi-layer switch to reduce the rate at which corresponding higher layer communication protocols apply data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein introducing round trip delay causes a TCP layer corresponding to the WLAN to reduce its rate of data application to corresponding lower layer protocols.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein in determining that a WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds a usage threshold, the method includes:

determining a usage threshold for the WLAN client;

comparing a current usage level of the WLAN client to the usage level for the WLAN client; and

when the comparison is unfavorable, concluding that the WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds the usage threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring, by the multi-layer switch, packetized communications serviced by the WAP includes:

extracting MAC addresses from the packetized communications; and

determining packet size(s) of the packetized communications.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising, for each monitored packetized communication:

storing the MAC address corresponding to the packetized communication;

storing the packet size of the packetized communication; and

storing a time stamp corresponding to the packetized communication.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that a WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds a usage threshold is performed during a periodic WAP usage determination operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that a WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds a usage threshold is performed by a network manager.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, by the multi-layer switch:

storing the MAC address corresponding to the packetized communication at the network manager;

storing the packet size of the packetized communication at the network manager; and

storing a time stamp corresponding to the packetized communication at the network manager.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring, by the multi-layer switch, packetized communications serviced by the WAP is performed substantially in accordance with the RMON Ethernet standard.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein directing the servicing WAP of the plurality of WAPs to provide sufficient wireless bandwidth to a wireless terminal corresponding to the packetized voice communication is performed by a network manager of the wired network infrastructure of the LAN.

13. A multi-layer switch that supports a wired Local Area Network (wired LAN) having a wired network infrastructure, the multi-layer switch comprising:

a high-speed packet data network interface that couples the multi-layer switch to a high-speed packet data network;

a port interface communicatively coupled to the high speed packet data network and to the wired network infrastructure, wherein the port interface further communicatively couples the multi-layer switch to a plurality of Wireless Access Points (WAPs) that couple to the wired network infrastructure; and

a processor operably coupled to the port interface, wherein the processor executes a plurality of software instructions that, upon execution, cause the multi-layer switch to;

monitor packetized communications serviced by a WAP of the plurality of WAPs;

determine that a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) client serviced by the WAP exceeds a usage threshold; and

reduce the wireless capacity provided to the WLAN client by the WAP.

14. The multi-layer switch of claim 13, wherein the multi-layer switch reduces the wireless capacity provided to the WLAN client by the reducing a Class of Service (CoS) provided to the WLAN client by the WAP.

15. The multi-layer switch of claim 13, wherein the multi-layer switch reduces the wireless capacity provided to the WLAN client by the WAP by introducing round trip delay into packetized communications serviced by the multi-layer switch to reduce the rate at which corresponding higher layer communication protocols apply data.

16. The multi-layer switch of claim 13, wherein the multi-layer switch determines that a WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds a usage threshold by:

determining a usage threshold for the WLAN client;

comparing a current usage level of the WLAN client to the usage level for the WLAN client; and

when the comparison is unfavorable, concluding that the WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds the usage threshold.

17. The multi-layer switch of claim 13, wherein the multi-layer switch monitors packetized communications serviced by the WAP by:

extracting MAC addresses from the packetized communications; and

determining packet size(s) of the packetized communications.

18. The multi-layer switch of claim 17, wherein the multi-layer switch, for each monitored packetized communication:

stores the MAC address corresponding to the packetized communication;

stores the packet size of the packetized communication; and

stores a time stamp corresponding to the packetized communication.

19. The multi-layer switch of claim 13, wherein the multi-layer switch operates substantially in accordance with the RMON Ethernet standard.

20. A combined wired Local Area Network (wired LAN) and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) the services a plurality of WLAN clients, the combined wired LAN and WLAN comprising:

a wired network infrastructure;

a plurality of Wireless Access Points (WAPs) coupled to the wired network infrastructure;

a multi-layer switch coupled to the wired network infrastructure;

wherein a WAP of the plurality of WAPs and the multi-layer switch service packetized communications for a plurality of WLAN clients;

wherein the multi-layer switch monitors packetized communications serviced by the WAP;

wherein, the multi-layer switch determines that a WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds a usage threshold; and

wherein the multi-layer switch reduces the wireless capacity provided to the WLAN client by the WAP.

21. The combined wired LAN and WLAN of claim 20, wherein the multi-layer switch reduces the wireless capacity provided to the WLAN client by reducing a Class of Service (CoS) provided to the WLAN client by the WAP.

22. The combined wired LAN and WLAN of claim 20, wherein the multi-layer switch reduces the wireless capacity provided to the WLAN client by introducing round trip delay into packetized communications serviced by the multi-layer switch to reduce the rate at which corresponding higher layer communication protocols apply data.

23. The combined wired LAN and WLAN of claim 20, wherein in determining that a WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds a usage threshold the multi-layer switch:

determines a usage threshold for the WLAN client;

compares a current usage level of the WLAN client to the usage level for the WLAN client; and

when the comparison is unfavorable, concludes that the WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds the usage threshold.

24. The combined wired LAN and WLAN of claim 20, further comprising a network manager that:

determines a usage threshold for the WLAN client;

compares a current usage level of the WLAN client to the usage level for the WLAN client;

when the comparison is unfavorable, concludes that the WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds the usage threshold; and

reports to the multi-layer switch that the WLAN client serviced by the WAP exceeds the usage threshold.

25. The combined wired LAN and WLAN of claim 20, wherein in monitoring packetized communications serviced by the WAP the multi-layer switch:

extracts MAC addresses from the packetized communications; and

determines packet size(s) of the packetized communications.

26. The combined wired LAN and WLAN of claim 20, wherein multi-layer switch operates substantially in accordance with the RMON Ethernet standard.