Method and system for allowing and preventing wireless devices to transmit wireless signals

• US 7,496,094 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arista Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Airtight Networks Incorporated (Arista Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gopinath, Krishnamurthy N., Bhagwat, Pravin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; David Q
• Application Number:
  US11/230,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20060165078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A method for arbitrating use of wireless medium for transmission of wireless signals within a selected local geographic region. The selected local geographic region comprises a first set of a plurality of devices to be allowed to transmit wireless signals and a second set of one or more devices to be substantially restricted from transmitting wireless signals. The method includes providing identity information associated with the first set of wireless devices. The method includes transmitting over a wireless medium at least one packet for each of the wireless devices in the first set. The at least one packet for each of the wireless devices includes an identity information, including an address, associated with that wireless device. That wireless device is a recipient of the one packet on the wireless medium. The at least one packet also has a selected value in a duration field of at least the one packet. The selected value is associated with a portion of time for which that wireless device is to be allowed to transmit wireless signals within the selected local geographic region while restricting at least the wireless devices in the second set.

Claims

1. A method for resisting denial of service attacks on wireless networks, the method comprising:

positioning a sniffer device within a selected geographic region, the selected geographic region comprising a plurality of legitimate wireless devices and a denial of service attack generator device; and

providing using the sniffer device a plurality of wireless signal transmission opportunities in turns to the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices, respectively, while depriving the denial of service attack generator device of wireless signal transmission opportunity, over a selected time interval;

wherein the selected time interval being initiated by the sniffer device by transmitting a packet to one of the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices;

wherein the one packet includes a selected value in a duration field of the one packet, the selected value being associated with a portion of time for which the one wireless device is to be allowed to transmit wireless signals within the selected geographic region while restricting at least the other one or more legitimate wireless devices from the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices and the denial of service attack generator device from transmitting wireless signals within the selected geographic region.

2. A method for resisting denial of service attacks on wireless networks, the method comprising:

positioning a sniffer device within a selected geographic region, the selected geographic region comprising a plurality of legitimate wireless devices and a denial of service attack generator device; and

providing using the sniffer device a plurality of wireless signal transmission opportunities in turns to the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices, respectively, while depriving the denial of service attack generator device of wireless signal transmission opportunity, over a selected time interval;

wherein a wireless signal transmission opportunity is provided by the sniffer device to a wireless device from the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices by transmitting a packet to the wireless device;

wherein the packet includes a selected value in a duration field of the packet, the selected value being related to length in time of the wireless signal transmission opportunity.

3. A method for resisting denial of service attacks on wireless networks, the method comprising:

positioning a sniffer device within a selected geographic region, the selected geographic region comprising a plurality of legitimate wireless devices and a denial of service attack generator device; and

providing using the sniffer device a plurality of wireless signal transmission opportunities in turns to the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices, respectively, while depriving the denial of service attack generator device of wireless signal transmission opportunity, over a selected time interval;

wherein a wireless signal transmission opportunity is provided by the sniffer device to a wireless device from the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices by transmitting a packet to the wireless device;

wherein the packet includes a selected value in a duration field of the packet, the selected value being related to length in time of the wireless signal transmission opportunity;

wherein the wireless device is allowed to transmit wireless signals within the selected geographic region during the wireless signal transmission opportunity while at least the other one or more legitimate wireless devices from the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices and the denial of service attack generator device are restricted from transmitting wireless signals within the selected geographic region during the transmission opportunity.

4. A system for resisting denial of service attacks on wireless networks, the system comprising:

a sniffer device positioned within a selected geographic region, the selected geographic region comprising a plurality of legitimate wireless devices and a denial of service attack generator device;

wherein the sniffer device is programmed to provide a plurality of wireless signal transmission opportunities in turns to the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices, respectively, while depriving the denial of service attack generator device of wireless signal transmission opportunity, over a selected time interval;

wherein the sniffer device is programmed to initiate the selected time interval by transmitting a packet to one of the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices;

wherein the one packet includes a selected value in a duration field of the one packet, the selected value being associated with a portion of time for which the one wireless device is to be allowed to transmit wireless signals within the selected geographic region while restricting at least the other one or more legitimate wireless devices from the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices and the denial of service attack generator device from transmitting wireless signals within the selected geographic region.

5. A system for resisting denial of service attacks on wireless networks, the system comprising:

a sniffer device positioned within a selected geographic region, the selected geographic region comprising a plurality of legitimate wireless devices and a denial of service attack generator device;

wherein the sniffer device is programmed to provide a plurality of wireless signal transmission opportunities in turns to the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices, respectively, while depriving the denial of service attack generator device of wireless signal transmission opportunity, over a selected time interval;

wherein the sniffer device is programmed to provide a wireless signal transmission opportunity to a wireless device from the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices by transmitting a packet to the wireless device;

wherein the packet includes a selected value in a duration field of the packet, the selected value being related to length in time of the wireless signal transmission opportunity.

6. A system for resisting denial of service attacks on wireless networks, the system comprising:

a sniffer device positioned within a selected geographic region, the selected geographic region comprising a plurality of legitimate wireless devices and a denial of service attack generator device;

wherein the sniffer device is programmed to provide a plurality of wireless signal transmission opportunities in turns to the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices, respectively, while depriving the denial of service attack generator device of wireless signal transmission opportunity, over a selected time interval;

wherein the sniffer device is programmed to provide a wireless signal transmission opportunity to a wireless device from the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices by transmitting a packet to the wireless device;

wherein the packet includes a selected value in a duration field of the packet, the selected value being related to length in time of the wireless signal transmission opportunity;

wherein the wireless device is allowed to transmit wireless signals within the selected geographic region during the wireless signal transmission opportunity while at least the other one or more legitimate wireless devices from the plurality of the legitimate wireless devices and the denial of service attack generator device are restricted from transmitting wireless signals within the selected geographic region during the transmission opportunity.