WIRELESS LOAD BALANCING

• US 20090323531A1
• Filed: 06/24/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trapeze Networks Incorporated (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Trapeze Networks Incorporated (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Matta, Sudheer Poorna Chandra
• Granted Patent: US 8,064,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0231 based on communication conditions dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition based on channel quality criteria H04W72/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/082 among bearers or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0958 based on metrics or performance parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A technique for wireless load balancing involves providing a wireless infrastructure that creates a target band option and helps push clients toward that band. An example of a method according to the technique involves, by way of example but not limitation, responding only to probe requests on a first band when a client is detected on the first band and a second band. For example, using the techniques described herein, a platform that is both 802.11a and 802.11b/g compliant may attempt to connect preferentially to the 802.11b/g band of a wireless network, and be migrated toward the 802.11a band instead.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a wireless device a first probe request on a first band and a second probe request on a second band;

responding to the first probe request on the first band;

refusing to respond to the second probe request on the second band;

wherein responding to the first probe request and refusing to respond to the second probe request creates an impression at the wireless device that a service set identifier (SSID) is unavailable on the second band.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising connecting the wireless device to a wireless network on the second band if a received strength signal indicator (RSSI) on the first band is below an acceptable signal threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising connecting the wireless device to a wireless network on the first band after creating the impression at the wireless device that the SSID is unavailable on the second band.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the SSID is a first SSID, further comprising, in response to a received strength signal indicator (RSSI) on the first band dropping below an acceptable signal threshold:

responding to a third probe request on the second band;

refusing to respond to a fourth probe request on the first band;

wherein the responding to the third probe request and refusing to respond to the fourth probe request creates an impression at the wireless device that a second SSID is unavailable on the first band.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first SSID and the second SSID are identical.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the refusing to respond to the second probe request is in response to congestion on the second band.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the refusing to respond to the second probe request is in response to detection of a stronger signal on the first band than on the second band.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the refusing to respond to the second probe request is an attempt to load balance across the first band and the second band.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the first band is a target band using available data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the first band as a target band.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising accepting input that the first band is a target band.

12. A method comprising:

setting an approximately 5 GHz spectrum band as a target band;

migrating a client that is compatible with the target band from an approximately 2.4 GHz spectrum band to the target band if a first detected signal strength associated with the client exceeds a received strength signal indicator (RSSI) threshold;

switching the client back to the approximately 2.4 GHz spectrum band if a second detected signal strength associated with the client drops below the RSSI threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising changing the target band.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising migrating from another band to the target band.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising migrating all clients that are compatible with the target band from the approximately 2.4 GHz spectrum band to the target band if respective detected signal strengths exceed the RSSI threshold.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising disabling said migrating and said switching back based upon network traffic characteristics.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the approximately 5 GHz spectrum band is an 802.11b/g band.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the approximately 2.4 GHz spectrum band is an 802.11a band.