NODE FAULT IDENTIFICATION IN WIRELESS LAN ACCESS POINTS

• US 20090059875A1
• Filed: 06/18/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cambium Networks Limited (Cambium Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Xirrus Incorporated
• Inventors: Rydalch, Michael B., Gates, Dirk, Matthews, Kirk
• Granted Patent: US 9,088,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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 access point radios in a wireless access point array comprising:

establishing a data connection between a monitor radio and each of the access point radios in the wireless access point array;

transmitting data packets to each one of the access point radios;

checking if the data packets were accurately transmitted; and

identifying each of the access point 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 data connection includes a step of attempting to authenticate and associate the monitor radio with each access point radio, the method further comprising:

identifying access point radios that failed to associate with the monitor radio as being faulty nodes.

3. The method of claim 1 where the step of establishing the data connection includes a step of tuning the monitor radio to each one of the access point radios.

4. The method of claim 3 where the step of identifying access point radios that failed to associate further comprises:

for each access point radio identified as having failed, check if the access point radios that failed were attempting to associate with the monitor radio for the first time;

issuing a radio reset of the faulty node if it is the first time; and

initiating a request for maintenance if it is not the first time.

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

for each access point radio identified as a faulty node, check if the faulty nodes were attempting to associate with the monitor radio for the first time;

issuing a radio reset of the faulty node if it is the first time; and

initiating a request for maintenance if it is not the first time.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

before the step of establishing a connection with access point radios, retrieving a list of active access point radios from a memory storage device; and

performing the steps of establishing the data connection, transmitting packets to the access point radios, checking the accuracy of the transmission, and identifying the faulty nodes for each of the active access point radios in the list.

7. A wireless access point array comprising:

a plurality of access point radios for establishing data connections with a plurality of stations;

a monitor radio configured to communicate with each of the plurality of access point radios; and

an array controller connected to the access point radios and the monitor radio, the array controller configured to verify operation of the access point radios by configuring the monitor radio to attempt to establish data connections with each access point radio and identifying the access point radios that were unable to communicate with the monitor radio as faulty nodes.

8. The wireless access point array of claim 7 where the array controller is further configured to identify access point radios with which attempts to establish data connections failed and identify the access point radios that failed as faulty nodes.

9. The wireless access point array of claim 8 where the array controller is further configured to check if the access point radio failed to establish a connection for the first time, and to perform a radio reset if it was the first time, and to request maintenance if it was not the first time.

10. The wireless access point array of claim 7 where the array controller is further configured to transmit data packets to the access point radios with which the monitor radio was able to establish connections, to verify the accuracy of the transmitted data packets, and to identify the access point radios for which the transmission of the data packets was not accurate as faulty nodes.

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

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

12. A computer readable medium having software for verifying operation of a plurality of access point radios in a wireless access point array comprising:

logic configured for establishing a data connection between a monitor radio and each of the access point radios in the wireless access point array;

logic configured for transmitting data packets to each one of the access point radios;

logic configured for checking if the data packets were accurately transmitted; and

logic configured for identifying each of the access point radios with which the data packets were not accurately transmitted as being faulty nodes.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 where the logic configured for establishing the data connection includes logic configured for attempting to authenticate and associate the monitor radio with each access point radio, the computer readable medium further comprising:

logic configured for identifying access point radios that failed to associate with the monitor radio as being faulty nodes.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12 where the logic configured for establishing the data connection includes logic configured for tuning the monitor radio to each one of the access point radios.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 where the logic configured for identifying access point radios that failed to associate further comprises:

logic configured for performing for each access point radio identified as having failed, checking if the access point radios that failed were attempting to associate with the monitor radio for the first time;

logic configured for issuing a radio reset of the faulty node if it is the first time; and

logic configured for initiating a request for maintenance if it is not the first time.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12 where the logic configured for identifying the faulty nodes further comprises:

logic configured for performing for each access point radio identified as a faulty node, a check if the faulty nodes were attempting to associate with the monitor radio for the first time;

logic configured for issuing a radio reset of the faulty node if it is the first time; and

logic configured for initiating a request for maintenance if it is not the first time.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12 further comprising:

logic configured for performing before performing logic configured for establishing a connection with access point radios, retrieving a list of active access point radios from a memory storage device; and

logic configured for performing the steps of establishing the data connection, transmitting packets to the access point radios, checking the accuracy of the transmission, and identifying the faulty nodes for each of the active access point radios in the list.