Managed access point protocol

• US 8,467,362 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2012
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Calhoun, Patrice R., Kelly, Scott G., Suri, Rohit Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US13/441,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20120188993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/67.1, 455/418, 455/446, 455/447, 455/448, 455/524, 455/560, 370/431, 370/468, 370/338, 370/349, 370/329, 370/85.13, 709/220, 709/222
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and systems facilitating deployment and configuration of managed access points in hierarchical wireless network systems. An embodiment of the invention facilitates deployment and configuration of conventional, substantially autonomous access points operating in connection with a central management node, such as a server or appliance. In another embodiment, the present invention facilitates deployment and configuration of light-weight access points in a hierarchical wireless network system. In one embodiment, the present invention also provides a streamlined encryption key exchange protocol adapted to hierarchical wireless network system architectures.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first network device; and

a second network device operable to;

transmit a first message having a first byte size to the first network device over a network;

if a response to the first message is not received at the second network device, transmit a second message having a second byte size to the first network device, wherein the second byte size is less than the first byte size; and

validate the response to the first or second message transmitted from the first network device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network device is further operable to exchange information with the validated first network device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first byte size is greater than 1500 bytes.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first byte size is greater than the maximum size of an Ethernet frame.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second byte size is less than or equal to the maximum size of an Ethernet frame.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second byte size is equal to 1500 bytes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second byte size is less than 1500 bytes.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first byte size equals a maximum transmit unit size for a link layer protocol plus a number of bytes corresponding to an encapsulation header, and wherein the second number of bytes is the maximum transmit unit size for the link layer protocol.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network device is further operable to:

transmit one or more discovery messages to discover one or more other network devices connected to the network; and

select the first network device from the one or more discovered network devices.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising logic, the logic, when executed by a first network device, operable to:

transmit, from the first network device, a first message having a first byte size to a second network device over a network;

if a response to the first message is not received at the first network device, transmit, from the first network device, a second message having a second byte size to the second network device, wherein the second byte size is less than the first byte size; and

validate, at the first network device, the response to the first or second message transmitted from the second network device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the logic is further operable, when executed by the first network device, to transmit, from the first network device, information to the validated second network device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first byte size is greater than 1500 bytes.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first byte size is greater than the maximum size of an Ethernet frame.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second byte size is less than or equal to the maximum size of an Ethernet frame.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second byte size is equal to 1500 bytes.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second byte size is less than 1500 bytes.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first byte size equals a maximum transmit unit size for a link layer protocol plus a number of bytes corresponding to an encapsulation header, and wherein the second number of bytes is the maximum transmit unit size for the link layer protocol.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the logic is further operable, when executed by the first network device, to:

transmit, from the first network device, one or more discovery messages to discover one or more other network devices connected to the network; and

select, at the first network device, the second network device from the one or more discovered network devices.