Wireless Local Area Network, Adapter Unit and Equipment

• US 20100265845A1
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Network Services Finland Oy
• Original Assignee: Network Services Finland Oy
• Inventors: Lampén, Patrik
• Application Number:
  US11/991,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20100265845A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Equipment for a wireless local area network comprises at least one adapter unit (2A to 2G) including a wired network adapter part (22) to be connected to a wired network interface of a computer (WS1 to WS7) and a wireless network adapter part (21), and a wireless network access point (3, 4, 5). The access point (3, 4, 5) and the adapter unit are configured in advance by the supplier of the adapter unit to provide a secure wireless connection only with one another.

Claims

1. A local area network comprising at least one access point (3, 4, 5) for connecting at least one customer computer (WS1 to WS7) over a wireless interface to the local area network, characterized in that the local area network comprises at least one adapter unit (2A to 2G) including a wireless network adapter part (21), which is in advance configured for a secure wireless connection with a predetermined access point (3, 4, 5) of the wireless network, and a wired network adapter part (22) to be connected to a wired network interface of the customer terminal (WS1 to WS7), and in that the access point (3, 4) is configured in advance to allow the access to a wireless local area network only from the compatibly configured adapter unit (2A to 2G).

2. A local area network as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the local area network comprises at least two differently configured access points (3, 4, 5) for different services and/or user groups, and in that each adapter unit (2A to 2G) is configured to be connected to an access point or access points with one type of configuration only.

3. A local area network as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that access of the customer computer (WS1 to WS7) is prevented to the configuration data of the adapter unit (2A to 2G).

4. A local area network as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the configuration data of the access point (3, 4, 5) and the adapter unit (2A to 2G) comprise one or more of the following:

a name of the wireless network, an encryption key index of the network, an encryption algorithm or method to be used, an encryption key and a radio channel to be used.

5. A local area network as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that an IP address, a sub-network mask and/or a default gateway and name servers and possible WINS servers for the customer terminal (WS1 to WS7) are configured or retrieved through the wireless network to the wired network adapter part (22) of the adapter unit (2A to 2G), or the wired network adapter part (22) is arranged to automatically distribute them.

6. A local area network as claimed in any one of the previous claims, characterized in that the access points (3, 4, 5) are arranged to hide or to remove the name of the wireless network in their transmission, that the local area network comprises means for hiding and securing the customer terminals and the connections thereof from one another.

7. A local area network as claimed in any one of the previous claims, characterized in that at least one access point (3, 4, 5) comprises a device address filter for allowing connection to the network for only the adapter units provided with particular device addresses.

8. A local area network as claimed in any one of the previous claims, characterized in that the local area network comprises a server (7) for distributing one or more of the following data items through the access point and the adapter unit to the customer terminal;

an IP address, a subnetwork mask and/or a default gateway and name servers and WINS servers.

9. A local area network as claimed in any one of the previous claims, characterized in that the local area network comprises means (6A to 6D), preferably one or more switches for providing an Internet connection and/or a memory resource and/or another network resource to the customer computer (WS1 to WS7) according to the access point (3, 4, 5) used for connection.

10. A local area network as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the means (6A to 6D) comprise means for creating virtual networks of the access points (3, 4, 5) to the services and/or network resources addressed thereto.

11. An adapter unit for connecting a computer (WS1 to WS7) over a wireless interface to an access point (3, 4, 5) of a wireless local area network, characterized in that an adapter unit (2A to 2G) comprises both a wired network adapter part (22) to be connected to a wired network interface of the computer (WS1 to WS7) and a wireless network adapter part (21), which is configured in advance by the supplier of the adapter unit to provide a secure wireless connection only to a predetermined access point (3, 4, 5) compatibly configured in advance by the supplier of the adapter unit.

12. Equipment for a wireless local area network, characterized in that the equipment comprise at least one adapter unit (2A to 2G) including a wired network adapter part (22) to be connected to a wired network interface of a computer (WS1 to WS7), and a wireless network adapter part (21), and a wireless network access point (3, 4, 5), and that the access point (3, 4, 5) and said at least one adapter unit are compatibly configured in advance by the supplier of the adapter unit to provide a wireless secure connection only with one another.

13. Equipment as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the configuration data of the access point (3, 4, 5) and the at least one adapter unit (2A to 2G) include one or more of the following:

a name of the wireless network, an encryption key index of the network, an encryption algorithm or method, an encryption key and a radio channel.

14. Equipment as claimed in claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the access point (3, 4, 5) comprises a hardware address filter for allowing connection for only the adapter units provided with particular hardware addresses.

15. Equipment as claimed in claim 12, 13 or 14, characterized in that the access point (3, 4, 5) is arranged to hide or remove the name of the wireless network during transmission, and that the equipment comprise means for hiding and securing the customer terminals and the connections thereof from one another.