UNTETHERED ACCESS POINT MESH SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20160088551A1
• Filed: 11/25/2015
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trapeze Networks Incorporated (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: MURPHY, James, MORAIN, Gary Eugene, CHESNUTT, Stan
• Granted Patent: US 10,834,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/082 for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A technique for implementing an untethered access point (UAP) mesh involves enabling AP-local switching at one or more UAPs of the mesh. A system constructed according to the technique may include a wireless switch; an access point (AP) wire-coupled to the wireless switch; and a UAP mesh, wirelessly coupled to the AP, including a UAP with an AP-local switching engine embodied in a computer-readable medium. Another system constructed according to the technique may include an untethered access point (UAP), including: a radio; a backhaul service set identifier (SSID) stored in a computer-readable medium; an anchor access point (AAP) selection engine embodied in a computer-readable medium. In operation, the AAP selection engine may use the radio to attempt to associate with the AAP if a beaconed backhaul SSID matches the stored backhaul SSID. A method according to the technique may include beaconing with a backhaul SSID; acting in concert with an upstream switch as an authenticator for a downstream station that responds to the beacon; providing limited local switching functionality for the downstream station.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

broadcasting a beacon that includes a backhaul service set identifier (SSID) associated with a downstream station;

receiving a signal from the downstream station in response to the broadcast beacon;

authenticating the downstream station in response to the signal; and

unicasting a station-switching record (SSR) to the downstream station after the downstream station is authenticated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting, receiving, authenticating and unicasting are performed by an access point (AP).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the broadcasting, receiving, authenticating and unicasting are performed by an access point (AP),

the access point is an untethered access point (UAP).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the broadcasting, receiving, authenticating and unicasting are performed by an access point (AP),

the access point is a tethered access point that is connected to an upstream switch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticating includes transmitting an identifier of the downstream station to an upstream switch and receiving an authentication signal from the upstream switch.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the authenticating includes transmitting an identifier of the downstream station to an upstream switch and receiving an authentication signal from the upstream switch,

the transmitting the identifier of the downstream station to the upstream switch is performed via a backhaul radio.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the broadcasting, receiving, authenticating and unicasting are performed by an access point (AP),

the authenticating is performed via an authentication engine of the AP.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the backhaul SSID includes a support network identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the backhaul SSID from an upstream switch.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

an access point (AP) that, in use;

transmits a beacon that includes a first service set identifier (SSID);

receives a signal from a downstream station in response to the beacon, the downstream station having a second SSID that matches the first SSID;

authenticates the downstream station in response to the received signal; and

unicasts a station-switching record (SSR) to the downstream station after the downstream station is authenticated.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the AP has:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium including;

the first SSID; and

an authentication engine configured to authenticate the downstream station in response to the received signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the AP is further configured to connect the downstream station to a network.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the AP has:

a backhaul radio configured to transmit an identifier of the downstream station to an upstream switch.

14. A method, comprising:

listening, at an untethered access point (UAP), to detect a broadcast beacon that includes a service set identifier (SSID) matching a local SSID of the UAP; and

upon detection of the broadcast beacon that includes the SSID matching the local SSID of the UAP, sending a signal to an AAP to attempt to associate with the AAP.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, at the UAP and after the AP is associated with the AAP, a station switching record (SSR) from at least one of the AAP or an upstream switch; and

locally storing the SSR in the UAP.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, at the UAP and after the AP is associated with the AAP, a station switching record (SSR) from at least one of the AAP or an upstream switch;

locally storing the SSR in the UAP; and

transmitting the SSR to an upstream location.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving, in an initial configuration before the listening, the local SSID.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising forming a Layer 2 connection with the AAP.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, at the UAP and after the AP is associated with the AAP, a station switching record (SSR) from at least one of the AAP or an upstream switch; and

locally storing the SSR in the UAP, the SSR including data associated with authorized stations and/or access control list (ACL) filters.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising beaconing an SOS signal if the attempt to associate with the AAP fails.