Portable computing device and associated method for analyzing a wireless local area network

• US 20030157895A1
• Filed: 09/17/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Sathya, Sriharsha, Agrawal, Ajay, Malpani, Raghavendra, Saraswati, Abhishek, Schmitz, Peter O., Hate, Ashish, Rao, Suryaprashant, Prakash, Apurva, Neelakantamurthy, Yashovan
• Granted Patent: US 6,879,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/18 Protocol analysers
• 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

Aspects of the invention are found in an apparatus for monitoring data on a wireless network. The data is transmitted according to a wireless data network protocol across the network. The apparatus is contained on a portable wireless network analysis device. The portable wireless network analysis device has a wireless network interface that communicatively couples the portable wireless network analysis device to the wireless network. This allows the portable wireless network analysis device to receive data from the wireless network. The portable wireless network analysis device also has a network traffic analyzer. The network traffic analyzer is communicatively coupled to the wireless network interface. The analyzer receives and analyzes the data received from the wireless network. The portable wireless network analysis device is capable of being operated by user at one location and transported to second location. The portable wireless network analysis device is able to continue to monitor data on the wireless network while being transported from the first location to the second location. The apparatus may also have a user interface. Information about the data may be displayed on the user interface. In a specific instance, the user interface is a display screen. The apparatus can have a storage system. The storage system stores the data when initiated by a user. The apparatus can also have a filter system. The filter system filters the data based on a predefined criteria. The apparatus may have an alarm system. The alarm system indicates when a predefined network event has occurred.

Claims

1. An apparatus for analyzing a wireless local area network, comprising:

a portable wireless local area network analysis device, the portable wireless network analysis device comprising;

a wireless network interface that communicatively couples the portable wireless network analysis device to the wireless local area network and receives data flowing on the wireless local area network;

a network traffic analyzer, communicatively coupled to the wireless network interface, that receives the data and performs an analysis of the data received from the wireless local area network;

the portable wireless network analysis device capable of collecting information selected from the group consisting of source addresses, destination addresses, dropped packets, packet types, and packet sizes;

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of collating statistics selected from the group consisting of packet totals, distribution of packet sizes, numbers of broadcasts, numbers of multicasts, numbers of errors of varying types, channel use statistics, utilization statistics, and packet rate statistics;

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of decoding the data;

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of detecting noise associated with the receipt of the data; and

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of detecting a power level associated with the receipt of the data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receipt of the data is based at least in part on a service set identifier (SSID).

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable wireless network analysis device is further capable of filtering the data.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the portable wireless network analysis device is further capable of buffering the filtered data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the decoding provides summaries, details, and hex-formatted information associated with the data.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable wireless network analysis device is further capable of changing a channel on which the data is received.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable wireless network analysis device is further capable of detecting rogue access points on the wireless local area network.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable wireless network analysis device is further capable of generating alarms based on conditions involving the statistics.

9. A method for analyzing a wireless local area network utilizing a portable wireless network analysis device, comprising:

receiving data from the wireless local area network with a wireless network interface, the wireless network interface contained in a portable wireless network analysis device;

analyzing the wireless local area network data utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device;

collecting information selected from the group consisting of source addresses, destination addresses, dropped packets, packet types, and packet sizes, utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device;

collating statistics selected from the group consisting of packet totals, distribution of packet sizes, numbers of broadcasts, numbers of multicasts, numbers of errors of varying types, channel use statistics, utilization statistics, and packet rate statistics, utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device;

decoding the data, utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device;

detecting noise associated with the receipt of the data, utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device; and

detecting a power level associated with the receipt of the data, utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the receipt of the data is based at least in part on a service set identifier (SSID).

11. The method of claim 9, and further comprising filtering the data utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device.

12. The method of claim 11, and further comprising buffering the filtered data utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the decoding provides summaries, details, and hex-formatted information associated with the data.

14. The method of claim 9, and further comprising changing a channel on which the data is received utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device.

15. The method of claim 9, and further comprising detecting rogue access points on the wireless local area network utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device.

16. The method of claim 9, and further comprising generating alarms based on conditions involving the statistics utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device.

17. An apparatus for analyzing a wireless local area network, comprising:

a portable wireless network analysis device embodied on a pocket personal computer, the portable wireless network analysis device comprising;

a wireless network interface that communicatively couples the portable wireless network analysis device to the wireless local area network and receives data flowing on the wireless local area network;

a network traffic analyzer, communicatively coupled to the wireless network interface, that receives the data and performs an analysis of the data received from the wireless local area network, wherein the receipt of the data is based at least in part on a service set identifier (SSID);

the portable wireless network analysis device capable of being operated by user at one location and transported to second location, the portable wireless network analysis device operable to continue to monitor data on the wireless local area network while being transported from the first location to the second location;

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of collecting information selected from the group consisting of source addresses, destination addresses, dropped packets, packet types, and packet sizes;

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of collating statistics selected from the group consisting of packet totals, distribution of packet sizes, numbers of broadcasts, numbers of multicasts, numbers of errors of varying types, channel use statistics, utilization statistics, and packet rate statistics;

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of generating alarms based on conditions involving the statistics;

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of filtering the data;

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of buffering the filtered data;

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of decoding the filtered data for providing summaries, details, and hex-formatted information associated with the data;

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of detecting noise associated with the receipt of the data;

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of detecting a power level associated with the receipt of the data;

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of changing a channel on which the data is received; and

the portable wireless network analysis device further capable of detecting rogue access points on the wireless local area network.

18. A method for analyzing a wireless local area network, comprising:

receiving data from the wireless local area network with a wireless network interface, the wireless network interface contained in a portable wireless network analysis device, wherein the receipt of the data is based at least in part on a service set identifier (SSID);

analyzing the wireless local area network data utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device;

selectively, relocating the portable wireless network analysis device from a first location to a second location, the portable wireless network analysis device still performing the steps of receiving and analyzing concurrently with the relocating;

collecting information selected from the group consisting of source addresses, destination addresses, dropped packets, packet types, and packet sizes, utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device;

collating statistics selected from the group consisting of packet totals, distribution of packet sizes, numbers of broadcasts, numbers of multicasts, numbers of errors of varying types, channel use statistics, utilization statistics, and packet rate statistics, utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device;

generating alarms based on conditions involving the statistics utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device;

filtering the data utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device;

buffering the filtered data utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device;

decoding the filtered data for providing summaries, details, and hex-formatted information associated with the data, utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device;

detecting noise associated with the receipt of the data utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device;

detecting a power level associated with the receipt of the data utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device;

changing a channel on which the data is received utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device; and

detecting rogue access points on the wireless local area network utilizing the portable wireless network analysis device.