Node Self-Configuration And Operation In A Wireless Network

• US 20080304427A1
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meraki Networks, Inc (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Biswas, Sanjit, Bicket, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,339,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0246 Exchanging or transporting network management information using the Internet; Embedding network management web servers in network elements; Web-services-based protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A device performs a self-configure process for operations in a managed network to allocate a network address for the device by determining if the device will operate as a gateway of the managed network, obtaining a network address for communication with external devices outside of the managed network in response to determining that the device will operate as a gateway, scanning for neighbor devices operating in the managed network and maintaining a database of neighbor devices located in the scanning, and selecting a managed network to join based on the database of neighbor devices in response to determining that the device will operate as a node.

Claims

1. A method of operating a device for communication over a managed network using a network communication protocol, the method comprising:

allocating an internal network address for the device for communications within a managed network;

determining if the device will operate as a gateway of the managed network;

obtaining a network address for communication with external devices outside of the managed network in response to determining that the device will operate as a gateway;

scanning for neighbor devices operating in the managed network and maintaining a database of neighbor devices located in the scanning;

selecting a managed network to join based on the database of neighbor devices in response to determining that the device will operate as a node.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein allocating an internal network address comprises performing a hash function on a MAC address value of the device, wherein the hash function provides a hashed network address that is unique to the device and that is obtained identically each time the hash function is performed.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the hashing function operates on the three least significant bytes of the device MAC address.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein scanning for neighbor devices comprises:

broadcasting a network management probe request message with SSID equal to zero;

processing each response to the request message to determine information related to the responding device;

maintaining a database of the responding device information that includes channel of operation for the responding device, responding device MAC address, SSID, signal-to-noise information for communications to and from the responding device, a gateway indicator, a managed network indicator, and a gateway metric value.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein selecting a managed network to join comprises:

determining responding devices of the database that have a signal-to-noise ratio value that is greater than a threshold value to produce a filtered list;

identifying the responding device of the filtered list with the greatest gateway metric value;

operating on the channel associated with the identified responding device having the greatest gateway metric value, thereby joining the network of the identified responding device.

6. A method of operating a device for communication using a network communication protocol, the method comprising:

performing a hash function on a MAC address value of the device, wherein the hash function provides a hashed network address that is unique to the device and that is obtained identically each time the hash function is performed, such that the hash function operates on the three least significant bytes of the device MAC address and the hashed network address comprises an internal network address that is allocated for the device for communications within a managed network;

determining if the device will operate as a gateway of the managed network;

obtaining a network address for communication with external devices outside of the managed network in response to determining that the device will operate as a gateway;

scanning for neighbor devices operating in the managed network and maintaining a database of neighbor devices located in the scanning, wherein scanning comprises broadcasting a network management probe request message with SSID equal to zero, processing each response to the request message to determine information related to the responding device, maintaining a database of the responding device information that includes channel of operation for the responding device, responding device MAC address, SSID, signal-to-noise information for communications to and from the responding device, a gateway indicator, a managed network indicator, and a gateway metric value, and selecting a managed network to join based on the database of neighbor devices in response to determining that the device will operate as a node; and

selecting a managed network to join in response to determining that the device will operate as a node, in accordance with the database of neighbor devices, and by determining responding devices of the database that have a signal-to-noise ratio value that is greater than a threshold value to produce a filtered list, identifying the responding device of the filtered list with the greatest gateway metric value, and operating on the channel associated with the identified responding device having the greatest gateway metric value, thereby joining the network of the identified responding device.

7. A network access device for communication over a managed network using a network communication protocol, the network access device comprising:

a network interface for communications using the network communication protocol;

a processor that allocates an internal network address for communications within a managed network, determines if the network access device will operate as a gateway of the managed network and obtains a network address for communication with external devices outside of the managed network in response to determining that the device will operate as a gateway, scans for neighbor devices operating in the managed network and maintaining a database of neighbor devices located in the scanning, and selects a managed network to join based on the database of neighbor devices in response to determining that the device will operate as a node.

8. The network access device as defined in claim 7, wherein the device allocates an internal network address by performing a hash function on a MAC address value of the device, wherein the hash function provides a hashed network address that is unique to the device and that is obtained identically each time the hash function is performed.

9. The network access device as defined in claim 8, wherein the hashing function operates on the three least significant bytes of the device MAC address.

10. The network access device as defined in claim 7, wherein the device scans for neighbor devices by broadcasting a network management probe request message with SSID equal to zero, processing each response to the request message to determine information related to the responding device, and maintaining a database of the responding device information that includes channel of operation for the responding device, responding device MAC address, SSID, signal-to-noise information for communications to and from the responding device, a gateway indicator, a managed network indicator, and a gateway metric value.

11. The network access device as defined in claim 10, wherein the device selects a managed network to join by determining responding devices of the database that have a signal-to-noise ratio value that is greater than a threshold value to produce a filtered list, identifying the responding device of the filtered list with the greatest gateway metric value, and operating on the channel associated with the identified responding device having the greatest gateway metric value, thereby joining the network of the identified responding device.