Automated discovery of access points in wireless computer networks
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- probing a computer network to discover one or more wireless access points by sending messages to known communication ports of the wireless access points, wherein the probing includes periodically testing the computer network by the software agent to determine if the one or more wireless access points are present;
receiving, in response to the messages, access to configuration interfaces of the wireless access points through which the wireless access points can be programmed; and
automatically, without user activity, programming each unprogrammed wireless access point by transmitting wireless network configuration parameters to the unprogrammed wireless access point using a software agent residing on a node of the computer network.
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Abstract
As part of a wireless access point configuration process, a computer network is probed and each previously unprogrammed wireless access point on the network is programmed by transmitting wireless network configuration parameters thereto using a software agent residing on a node of the computer network.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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probing a computer network to discover one or more wireless access points by sending messages to known communication ports of the wireless access points, wherein the probing includes periodically testing the computer network by the software agent to determine if the one or more wireless access points are present; receiving, in response to the messages, access to configuration interfaces of the wireless access points through which the wireless access points can be programmed; and automatically, without user activity, programming each unprogrammed wireless access point by transmitting wireless network configuration parameters to the unprogrammed wireless access point using a software agent residing on a node of the computer network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method comprising:
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probing a computer network to discover one or more wireless access points by sending messages to known communication ports of the wireless access points; receiving, in response to the messages, access to configuration interfaces of the wireless access points through which the wireless access points can be programmed; and automatically programming each unprogrammed wireless access point by transmitting wireless network configuration parameters to the unprogrammed wireless access point using a software agent residing on a node of the computer network, wherein the software agent automatically programs each unprogrammed wireless access point with the wireless network configuration parameters in response to a user authorization but without further user activity. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A computer system comprising:
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a processor, a communication device operatively coupled to the processor and configurable to access other computers via a network; and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein instructions executable by the processor to cause the computer system to; probe the network to discover one or more wireless access points by sending messages to known communication ports of the wireless access points; receive, in response to the messages, access to configuration interfaces of the wireless access points through which the wireless access points can be programmed; and automatically, without user activity, program each unprogrammed wireless access point by transmitting wireless network configuration parameters to the unprogrammed wireless access point using a software agent residing on a node of the computer network; and periodically test the network to determine if the one or more wireless access points are present. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A computer system comprising:
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a processor, a communication device operatively coupled to the processor and configurable to access other computers via a network; and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein instructions executable by the processor to cause the computer system to; probe the network to discover one or more wireless access points by sending messages to known communication ports of the wireless access points; receive, in response to the messages, access to configuration interfaces of the wireless access points through which the wireless access points can be programmed; and automatically program each unprogrammed wireless access point by transmitting wireless network configuration parameters to the unprogrammed wireless access point using a software agent residing on a node of the computer network in response to a user authorization but without further user activity. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer code executable by a computer system to:
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probe a network to discover one or more wireless access points by sending messages to known communication ports of the wireless access points; receive, in response to the messages, access to configuration interfaces of the wireless access points through which the wireless access points can be programmed; automatically, without user activity, program each unprogrammed wireless access point by transmitting wireless network configuration parameters to the unprogrammed wireless access point using a software agent residing on a node of the computer network; and cause the computer system to periodically test the network to determine if the one or more wireless access points are present. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer code executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to:
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probe a network to discover one or more wireless access points by sending messages to known communication ports of the wireless access points; receive, in response to the messages, access to configuration interfaces of the wireless access points through which the wireless access points can be programmed; and automatically program each unprogrammed wireless access point by transmitting wireless network configuration parameters to the unprogrammed wireless access point using a software agent residing on a node of the computer network in response to a user authorization but without further user activity. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification