Integrated user and radio management in a wireless network environment

• US 7,382,756 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2003
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barber, Simon, Petruschka, Roy, de Castro, Edward Rodriguez
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US10/430,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20040076134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,856 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/329, 370/401, 709/227, 709/228, 455/410
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• 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 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

A system and method in which user management and radio management functionalities associated with a wireless network, such as an IEEE 802.11 wireless network, are integrated to provide wireless network services thereof. In general, according to the present invention disclosed herein, a link layer authentication module for linking a plurality of wireless network layers to one another is integrated with a network management module, such that the network management module and the link layer authentication module together form an integrated user and radio management module which provides wireless network services for the wireless network. The use of link layer authentication under the IEEE 802.1x standard can be integrated with network management functionality thereof in order to associate both and provide a variety of useful wireless network services.

Claims

1. A system in which user management and radio management functionalities associated with a wireless network are integrated to provide wireless network services thereof, comprising:

a link layer authentication module adapted to link a plurality of wireless network layers to one another; and

a network management module integrated with the link layer authentication module, such that the network management module and the link layer authentication module together form an integrated user and radio management module which provides wireless network services for the wireless network,

wherein the integrated user and radio management module is adapted to permit a determination of a plurality of failed wireless network connection attempts based on a user address to thereby deduce a user associated with the user address.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated user and radio management module is adapted to permit a wireless network administrator to select a user of the wireless network to thereby view and manage user data associated with the user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the integrated user and radio management module is adapted to permit a wireless network administrator to select a user of the wireless network to thereby view and manage user data associated with the user, wherein the user data comprises at least one of the following:

a current MAC address associated with the user;

a physical location of the user; and

at least one wireless network service received by the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated user and radio management module is adapted to permit a history of wireless network traffic data to be compiled on the basis of user data associated with a user of the wireless network.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the history of wireless network data is adapted for use in quality control of wireless network services associated with the user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the determination of the plurality of failed wireless network connection attempts is further based on historical wireless network connection data associated with the user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user address comprises a MAC address.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated user and radio management module is adapted to permit at least one wireless network function to be associated with at least one wireless network event for network troubleshooting thereof.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises an IEEE 802.1x wireless network.