“Wireless ISLAND” mobile LAN-to-LAN tunneling solution

• US 7,778,228 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2004
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Dupler, Craig E., Dodd, Paul S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, IV; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shand; Roberta A
• Application Number:
  US10/944,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20060056366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 370/401, 370/310, 370/329, 370/331, 455/11.1, 455423-425, 714/14, 714/22, 714/24
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A network communication system includes a wireless independent secure local area network design (ISLAND) LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal that provides a communications link to an access point of a primary network. A network control center, connected to the primary network, continuously monitors the wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal and an alarm is set off when an outage occurs—such as caused by the wireless ISLAND being powered down. The wireless ISLAND may be enclosed in a hardened, portable case subject to security procedures. A method for establishing a secure communications link using a wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal may include providing requirements that consider the wireless ISLAND to be a component of network infrastructure and not an end user client device, providing controls for physical access to the wireless ISLAND, and providing procedures for ensuring the security of the wireless ISLAND and the communications link that it provides.

Claims

1. A network communication system, comprising:

a primary network;

a portable wireless independent secure local area network design (ISLAND) LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal that provides a secure communications link from an external LAN to an access point of said primary network; and

a network control center connected to said primary network, wherein said network control center continuously monitors said wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal and an alarm is set off and access between the wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN and the primary network is disabled by said network control center when an outage occurs in said wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal.

2. The network communication system of claim 1, wherein said wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal has a power supply that is plugged in to power while in storage.

3. The network communication system of claim 1, wherein:

said wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal has a power supply with an external power interface for plugging said power supply into power; and

said outage occurs whenever said power supply is unplugged.

4. The network communication system of claim 1, wherein said network control center is notified preceding a planned occurrence of said outage.

5. The network communication system of claim 1, wherein said network control center takes a remedial action when an unexpected occurrence of said outage occurs.

6. The network communication system of claim 1, wherein said network control center, and not an end user, has security responsibility for physical access to said wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal.

7. The network communication system of claim 1, wherein said network control center delegates security responsibility for said wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal to a named end user.

8. A portable wireless independent secure local area network design (ISLAND) LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal comprising:

a portable network router;

a wireless workgroup bridge in communication with said network router, said wireless workgroup bridge providing a secure wireless communications link to an access point of a primary network;

a power supply that supplies power to said network router and said wireless workgroup bridge;

a portable case enclosing said network router, said wireless workgroup bridge, and said power supply, wherein;

said case has a secure external communication interface connected to said network router; and

said case has an external power interface connected to said power supply so that said power supply provides power to said network router and said wireless workgroup bridge only when plugged in to power through said external power interface;

wherein said portable network router is configured to be continuously monitored and disabled by a network control center upon the occurrence of an outage caused by unplugging said power supply.

9. The wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal of claim 8 wherein:

said case is made from a material chosen from the group consisting of;

metal and hard plastic;

said case has two external interfaces including said external communication interface and said external power interface; and

said case has no more than two external interfaces.

10. The wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal of claim 8 wherein said case is locked.

11. The wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal of claim 8 wherein:

said case is locked with a lock; and

a key to said lock is in control of a network control center.

12. The wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal of claim 8 wherein said case is sealed with a tamper-evident seal.

13. The wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal of claim 8 wherein said case is firmly affixed to a piece of equipment large enough to minimize the chance of an undetected loss.

14. The wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal of claim 8 wherein said case is secured to a workstation cart.

15. The wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal of claim 8 wherein said case is secured to a workstation cart and connected to a user LAN on said workstation cart via said external communication interface.

16. A secure communications link comprising:

a first router on a primary network, said first router configured as a LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal;

an access point on said primary network, said access point providing RF communication for the first router; and

a portable case containing a second router configured to operate as a independent secure local area network design (ISLAND) LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal and containing a wireless workgroup bridge in communication with said second router, said wireless workgroup bridge and said second router providing a secure RF communication link over a channel between said access point and an external LAN;

wherein said RF communications link is configured to be continuously monitored from said primary network so that an alarm is set off and access between the ISLAND LAN-to-LAN and the primary network is disabled when an outage occurs in said RF communications link, said monitoring and disabling by a network control center connected to said primary network.

17. The secure communications link of claim 16 further comprising:

a power supply contained in said case, said power supply connected to provide power to said second router so that;

said power supply provides power to said second router only when plugged in through an external interface, and said outage occurs whenever said power supply is unplugged.

18. The secure communications link of claim 16 further comprising:

a power supply contained in said case, said power supply connected to provide power to said wireless workgroup bridge so that;

said power supply provides power to said wireless workgroup bridge only when plugged in through an external interface, and said outage occurs whenever said power supply is unplugged.

19. The secure communications link of claim 16 wherein said portable case is locked and includes a detection system that deactivates said communications link when said portable case is tampered with.

20. A network communication system comprising:

a primary network;

a portable wireless independent secure local area network design (ISLAND) LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal including a router that provides a secure communications link to said primary network from an external LAN via an access point of said primary network, including;

a portable case containing;

said router, a wireless workgroup bridge in communication with said router and providing RF communication for said router over a communication channel to said access point, and

a power supply connected to provide power to said router and said wireless workgroup bridge so that said power supply provides power to said router and said wireless workgroup bridge only when plugged in through an external interface and causes an outage when unplugged;

wherein said portable case is locked and firmly attached to a large piece of equipment; and

a network control center connected to said primary network, wherein;

said network control center continuously monitors said wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal through said primary network over said communications link; and

an alarm is set off at said network control center and access between the wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN and the primary network is disabled b said network control center when said outage occurs.

21. The network communication system of claim 20 wherein a key to said lock is in control of said network control center.

22. A user LAN comprising:

a computing device; and

a portable wireless independent secure local area network design (ISLAND) LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal that provides a secure communications link for said user LAN to an access point of a primary network, said ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal including;

a portable case containing;

a router, a wireless workgroup bridge in communication with said router and providing RF communication for said router over a communication channel to said access point, and

a power supply connected to provide power to said router and said wireless workgroup bridge so that said power supply provides power to said router and said wireless workgroup bridge only when plugged in through an external interface and causes an outage when unplugged;

wherein said portable case is locked and firmly attached to said computing device, and wherein said wireless workgroup bridge is configured to be continuously monitored and disabled upon the occurrence of a power outage, said monitoring and disabling by a network control center connected to said primary network.

23. A method comprising operations of:

providing a portable wireless independent secure local area network design (ISLAND) that provides a secure communication link between an external network and an access point of a primary network, wherein said ISLAND is continuously monitored from a network control center comprising said primary network;

advising said network control center of any planned outage of said wireless ISLAND; and

taking remedial action in the case of an unexpected outage of said wireless ISLAND, said remedial action comprising disabling access between the wireless ISLAND and the primary network by said network control center.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said wireless ISLAND provides a LAN-to-LAN tunnel communications link.

25. The method of claim 23, further including a procedure of:

keeping said wireless ISLAND plugged in to AC power while in storage to enable continuous monitoring.

26. The method of claim 23, further including a procedure of:

delegating responsibility for the security of said wireless ISLAND to a named end user representative.

27. The method of claim 23, further including a control of:

firmly affixing an enclosure of said wireless ISLAND to a piece of equipment that is large enough to minimize the chance of an undetected loss of said wireless ISLAND.

28. A method comprising operations of:

providing requirements for establishing a secure communications link between an external LAN network and an access point of a primary network using a portable wireless independent secure local area network design (ISLAND) LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal, said requirements including considering the wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal to be a component of network infrastructure and not an end user client device;

providing controls for physical access to the component of network infrastructure comprising the wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal; and

providing procedures for ensuring the security of the wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal and the secure communications link that it provides, wherein at least one of said procedures includes continuously monitoring the wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN tunnel terminal from a network control center comprising said primary network so that an alarm is set off and access between the wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN and the primary network is disabled by said network control center whenever an outage occurs in said wireless ISLAND LAN-to-LAN.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one of said procedures includes a procedure for network operations delegating responsibility for the security of a wireless ISLAND to a named end user representative.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one of said procedures includes a procedure for the network control center responding to said alarm.