Determining the state of a station in a local area network

• US 20030189908A1
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airmagnet (NetScout Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Airmagnet (NetScout Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kuan, Chia-Chee, Wu, Miles, Au, Dean
• Granted Patent: US 7,289,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

In a wireless local area network, transmissions exchanged between a station and an access point is received using a detector located adjacent to the station. The received transmissions are analyzed to determine the state of the station, where the state of the station indicates whether the station has authenticated and/or associated with the access point in the wireless local area network.

Claims

1. A method of determining the state of a station in a wireless local area network, wherein the state of the station indicates whether the station has authenticated and/or associated with an access point in the wireless local area network, the method comprising:

receiving transmissions exchanged between the station and the access point using a detector located adjacent to the station,

wherein the transmissions are exchanged over the wireless local area network; and

analyzing the received transmissions to determine the state of the station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing comprises:

examining a received transmission; and

determining an indicative state of the station associated with the received transmission.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a first state of the station is associated with a first set of transmissions, and wherein determining comprises:

determining if the received transmission is one of the first set of transmissions; and

identifying the state of the station as being the first state when the received transmission is determined to be one of the first set of transmissions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a second state of the station is associated with a second set of transmissions, and wherein determining comprises:

determining if the received transmission is one of the second set of transmissions; and

identifying the state of the station as being the second state when the received transmission is determined to be one of the second set of transmissions.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a third state of the station is associated with a third set of transmissions, and wherein determining comprises:

determining if the received transmission is one of the third set of transmissions; and

identifying the state of the station as being the third state when the received transmission is determined to be one of the third set of transmissions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first state indicates the station has not been authenticated or associated with the access point, the second state indicates that the station has authenticated but not associated with the access point, and the third state indicates that the station has authenticated and associated with the access point.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmissions exchanged between the station and the access point comply with an extensible authentication protocol over local area networks (EAPOL) protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving comprises:

obtaining a medium access control (MAC) address of the station;

receiving a transmission using the detector, wherein the transmission includes a source address and a destination address; and

determining if the source address or the destination address of the transmission is the MAC address of the station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving comprising:

scanning a plurality of channels used in the wireless local area network using the detector; and

rebooting the station if no transmissions are received during a scan of the plurality of channels.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the station operates on a first channel after being rebooted, wherein the first channel is one of the plurality of channels used in the wireless local area network, and further comprising:

scanning on the first channel using the detector for a longer period of time than other channels of the plurality of channels used in the wireless local area network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing comprises:

displaying a list of transmissions on the detector, wherein the list includes different types of transmissions potentially exchanged between the station and the access point; and

when a received message corresponds to one of the types of transmissions in the list of transmissions, indicating on the list of transmissions that the type of transmission corresponding to the received message was received.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the types of transmissions include transmissions exchanged between the station and the access point during an authentication process in accordance with an extensible authentication protocol over local area networks (EAPOL) protocol.

13. A method of determining the state of a station in a wireless local area network, the method comprising:

receiving a transmission exchanged between the station and the access point using a detector located adjacent to the station,

wherein the transmissions are exchanged over the wireless local area network;

displaying a list of transmissions on the detector,

wherein the list includes different types of transmissions potentially exchanged between the station and the access point, and

wherein the different types of transmissions are indicative of different states of the station;

determining if the received transmission is one of the different types of transmissions; and

when a received transmission corresponds to one of the different types of transmissions, indicating on the list of transmissions that the type of transmissions that the type of transmission corresponding to the received transmission was received.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the types of transmissions include transmissions exchanged between the station and the access point during an authentication process in accordance with an extensible authentication protocol over local area networks (EAPOL) protocol.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein a first type of transmissions is associated with a first state of the station, wherein the first state indicates the station has not been authenticated or associated with the access point.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a second type of transmissions is associated with a second state of the station, wherein the second state indicates the station has authenticated but not associated with the access point.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a third type of transmissions is associated with a third state of the station, wherein the third state indicates the station has authenticated and associated with the access point.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving comprising:

scanning a plurality of channels used in the wireless local area network using the detector; and

rebooting the station if no transmissions are received during a scan of the plurality of channels.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the station operates on a first channel after being rebooted, wherein the first channel is one of the plurality of channels used in the wireless local area network, and further comprising:

scanning on the first channel using the detector for a longer period of time than other channels of the plurality of channels used in the wireless local area network.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

examining a received transmission; and

determining a state of the station associated with the received transmissions.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein a first state of the station is associated with a first set of transmissions, a second state of the station is associated with a second set of transmission, and a third state of the station is associated with a third set of transmissions, and wherein determining comprises:

determining if the received transmissions is one of the first, second, or third set of transmissions; and

identifying the state of the station as being the first, second, or third set when the received transmission is determined to be one of the first, second, or third set of transmissions, respectively.

22. An apparatus for determining the state of a station in a wireless local area network, wherein the state of the station indicates whether the station has authenticated and/or associated with an access point in the wireless local area network, the apparatus comprising:

a detector configured to;

receive transmissions exchanged between the station and the access point when the detector is located adjacent to the station; and

analyze the received transmissions to determine the state of the station.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein a first state of the station is associated with a first set of transmissions, at least a second state of the station is associated with at least a second set of transmissions, and wherein the detector is configured to analyze the received transmissions by:

determining if the received transmission is one of the first set or at least the second set of transmissions; and

identifying the state of the station as being the first state or the at least second state when the received transmission is determined to be one of the first set or the at least second set of transmissions.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first state indicates the station has not been authenticated or associated with the access point, and wherein the at least second state indicates that the station has authenticated but not associated with the access point.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein a third state of the station is associated with a third set of transmissions, wherein the third state indicates that the station has authenticated and associated with the access point, and wherein the detector is configured to analyze the received transmissions by:

determining if the received transmission is one of the third set of transmissions; and

identifying the state of the station as being the third state when the received transmission is determined to be one of the third set of transmissions.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the transmissions exchanged between the station and the access point comply with an extensible authentication protocol over local area networks (EAPOL) protocol.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the detector is configured to receive transmissions by:

scanning a plurality of channels used in the wireless local area network, wherein the station is rebooted if no transmissions are received during a scan of the plurality of channels.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the station operates on a first channel after being rebooted, wherein the first channel is one of the plurality of channels used in the wireless local area network, and wherein the detector is configured to:

scan the first channel for a longer period of time than other channels of the plurality of channels used in the wireless local area network.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the detector is configured to:

display a list of transmissions, wherein the list includes different types of transmissions potentially exchanged between the station and the access point; and

when a received message corresponds to one of the types of transmissions in the list of transmissions, indicate on the list of transmissions that the type of transmission corresponding to the received message was received.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the types of transmissions include transmissions exchanged between the station and the access point during an authentication process in accordance with an extensible authentication protocol over local area networks (EAPOL) protocol.

31. A computer-readable storage medium containing computer executable code to determine the state of a station in a wireless local area network, wherein the state of the station indicates whether the station has authenticated and/or associated with an access point in the wireless local area network, by instructing a computer to operate as follows:

receiving transmissions exchanged between the station and the access point; and

analyzing the received transmissions to determine the state of the station.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein a first state of the station is associated with a first set of transmissions, at least a second state of the station is associated with at least a second set of transmissions, and wherein analyzing comprises:

determining if the received transmission is one of the first set or at least the second set of transmissions; and

identifying the state of the station as being the first state or the at least second state when the received transmission is determined to be one of the first set or the at least second set of transmissions.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the first state indicates the station has not been authenticated or associated with the access point, and wherein the at least second state indicates that the station has authenticated but not associated with the access point.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein a third state of the station is associated with a third set of transmissions, wherein the third state indicates that the station has authenticated and associated with the access point, and wherein analyzing further comprises:

determining if the received transmission is one of the third set of transmissions; and

identifying the state of the station as being the third state when the received transmission is determined to be one of the third set of transmissions.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the transmissions exchanged between the station and the access point comply with an extensible authentication protocol over local area networks (EAPOL) protocol.

36. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein receiving comprises:

scanning a plurality of channels used in the wireless local area network, wherein the station is rebooted if no transmissions are received during a scan of the plurality of channels.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein the station operates on a first channel after being rebooted, wherein the first channel is one of the plurality of channels used in the wireless local area network, and wherein scanning comprises:

scanning the first channel for a longer period of time than other channels of the plurality of channels used in the wireless local area network.

38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein analyzing comprises:

displaying a list of transmissions, wherein the list includes different types of transmissions potentially exchanged between the station and the access point; and

when a received message corresponds to one of the types of transmissions in the list of transmissions, indicating on the list of transmissions that the type of transmission corresponding to the received message was received.

39. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 38, wherein the types of transmissions include transmissions exchanged between the station and the access point during an authentication process in accordance with an extensible authentication protocol over local area networks (EAPOL) protocol.