Backup Wide Area Network Connection For Access Points And Routers

• US 20160094388A1
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Britt, Joe Freeman Jr., Newberry, Robert Dale Jr., Heninwolf, Paul, Hershenson, Matthew Joel
• Granted Patent: US 10,148,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0661 by reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols

Abstract

Systems and techniques are provided for a backup wide area network connection for access points and routers. A network interface may be able to connect to wide area network over a broadband connection. A cellular modem may be able to connect to the wide area network through a cellular network. The cellular modem may be distinct from the network interface. A processor may be connected to the network interface and the cellular modem and may be able to detect that the broadband connection between the network interface and the wide area network is not connected and, in response, activate the cellular modem to connect to the cellular network, receive configuration data using the cellular modem, and apply a configuration setting from the received configuration data to establish the broadband connection through the network interface.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface adapted to connect to wide area network over a broadband connection;

a cellular modem adapted to connect to the wide area network through a cellular network, wherein the cellular modem is distinct from the network interface; and

a processor operatively coupled to the network interface and the cellular modem and adapted to detect that the broadband connection between the network interface and the wide area network is not connected and, in response, activate the cellular modem to connect to the cellular network, receive configuration data using the cellular modem, and apply at least one configuration setting from the received configuration data to establish the broadband connection through the network interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storage operatively coupled to the processor and adapted to store configuration settings, and wherein the processor is further adapted to apply the at least one configuration setting from the received configuration data by storing the at least one configuration setting in the storage.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further adapted detect a failure to establish the broadband connection that was detected to be not connected and to apply additional configuration settings from the received configuration data in response to detecting the failure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network interface is further adapted to connect to a computing device on a local area network and the processor is further adapted to send, using the network interface, to the computing device guided setup web pages comprising data related to a guided setup received using the cellular modem, receive data comprising a configuration setting submitted using the guided setup web pages, and apply the configuration setting for which the data was received.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the data comprising a configuration setting comprises at least one of a username and password for a broadband ISP, a static Internet Protocol address, and a connection type.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cellular modem is further adapted to connect to a computing device connected to the wide area network.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the computing device connected to the wide area network is a support server or a customer support agent computing device, and wherein the processor is further adapted to receive instructions through the cellular modem from the customer support agent computing device and perform the received instructions.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further adapted to use the cellular modem to send at least one of identification data, setup data, debugging data, and a report of a broadband disconnection.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the setup data comprises at least one current configuration setting of the apparatus, and wherein the debugging data comprises one or more of a current configuration setting of the apparatus, an error log, a debugging log, and telemetry data for the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network interface comprises at least one of a wireless network interface and a wired network interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cellular modem comprises a cellular radio.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cellular radio is a GPRS radio, an EDGE radio, a GSM radio, an LTE radio, a HSPA radio, or an HSDPA radio.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the broadband connection used by the network interface to connect to the wide area network comprises a connection to a broadband modem connected to a broadband internet service provider server.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the broadband modem is a cable modem, satellite modem, DSL modem, fiber optic modem, or high-speed wireless wide area modem.

15. A computer-implemented method performed by a data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting a broadband connection to a wide area network through a network interface is not connected;

connecting to the wide area network using a cellular modem, wherein the cellular modem is distinct from the network interface;

sending at least one of identification data, setup data, debugging data, and a report of a broadband disconnection to a support server using the cellular modem;

receiving configuration data comprising at least one configuration setting through the cellular modem; and

applying the at least one configuration setting from the configuration data to change a configuration.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

attempting to reconnect the broadband connection to the wide area network through the network interface after applying the at least one configuration setting; and

detecting the broadband connection to the wide area network is not connected after the reconnection attempt.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

applying at least one configuration setting from the configuration data that was not previously applied; and

attempting to reconnect the broadband connection to the wide area network through the network interface after applying the at least one configuration setting that was not previously applied.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

sending a request through the cellular modem to the support server for additional configuration data;

receiving the additional configuration data; and

applying at least one configuration setting from the additional configuration data; and

attempting to reconnect the broadband connection to the wide area network through the network interface after applying the at least one configuration setting from the additional configuration data.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving through the cellular modem from the support server at least one item of data related to at least one guided setup web page;

sending, to a computing device connected to a local area network, at least one guided setup web page comprising the at least one item of data, wherein the item of data is an indication of a configuration setting to be input by a user of the computing device;

receiving the configuration setting input by the user;

applying the configuration setting input by the user; and

attempting to reconnect the broadband connection to the wide area network.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving through the cellular modem at least one instruction from a customer support agent computing device; and

performing the at least one instruction, wherein the instruction comprises a configuration setting to be applied, an instruction to initiate a reboot, an instruction to attempt to reconnect the broadband connection, or an instruction to send data requested data comprising error log data, telemetry data, or debugging data to the customer support agent computing device.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the broadband connection to the wide area network is through a broadband modem and a broadband internet service provider server.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the broadband modem is a cable modem, satellite modem, DSL modem, fiber optic modem or high-speed wireless wide area modem.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the network interface comprises at least one of a wireless network interface and a wired network interface.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the at least one configuration setting comprises one item selected from the group of:

a connection type setting, a DNS IP address, and a Gateway IP address.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the cellular modem comprises a pre-provisioned cellular radio using a low-bandwidth cellular communication standard.

26. A computer-implemented method performed by a data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting a broadband connection to a wide area network through a network interface is not connected;

connecting to the wide area network using a cellular modem, wherein the cellular modem is distinct from the network interface;

sending at least one of identification data, setup data, debugging data, and a report of a broadband disconnection using the cellular modem; and

one or more of;

receiving configuration data comprising at least one configuration setting through the cellular modem,

receiving through the cellular modem from the support server at least one item of data related to at least one guided setup web page, and

receiving through the cellular modem at least one instruction from a customer support agent computing device.

27. A computer-implemented method performed by a data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving least one of identification data, setup data, debugging data, and a report of a broadband disconnection from a network access device;

determining at least one configuration setting to connect a broadband connection for the network access device based on at least one of the identification data, the setup data, the debugging data, and the report of a broadband disconnection; and

sending the at least one configuration setting as configuration data to the network access device.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving a report from the network access device that the broadband connection was not successfully connected after the network access device applied the at least one configuration setting; and

one or more of;

determining at least one other configuration setting for the network access device,

sending at least one item of data related to guided setup to the network access device, and

connecting the network access device to a customer support agent computing device.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein determining the at least one configuration setting comprises determining at least one broadband ISP that serves the location of the network access device based on location data for the network access device, wherein the location data is received in the identification data, setup data, debugging data, or report of a broadband disconnection.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, further comprising storing the received report of a broadband disconnection.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, further comprising sending a notification of a broadband disconnection to a device accessible by a user of the network access device.

32. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions which are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

detecting a broadband connection to a wide area network through a network interface is not connected;

connecting to the wide area network using a cellular modem, wherein the cellular modem is distinct from the network interface;

sending at least of one of identification data, setup data, debugging data, and a report of a broadband disconnection to a support server using the cellular modem;

receiving configuration data comprising at least one configuration setting through the cellular modem; and

applying the at least one configuration setting from the configuration data to change the configuration of a network access device.