Wireless extension of broadband access

• US 9,794,220 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Ong, Ivan, Lowery, Clifton, Urban, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jianye
• Application Number:
  US12/872,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20120051341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,604 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 in the uplink, i.e. towards network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

Wireless extension of a wired network through the use of strand-mounted access nodes. In some aspects, private network addresses may be assigned to wireless devices, and corresponding data traffic may be routed to a centralized management/provisioning platform for further network access.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by a first wireless access node and from a first device via a first virtual wireless network, a first packet, wherein the first wireless access node is configured to concurrently route packets associated with the first virtual wireless network and packets associated with a second virtual wireless network;

wirelessly receiving, by the first wireless access node via the second virtual wireless network, a second packet;

tagging the first packet with a first network identifier assigned by a provisioning server to the first virtual wireless network;

tagging the second packet with a second network identifier different from the first network identifier;

sending, by the first wireless access node and to the provisioning server, the tagged first packet and the tagged second packet; and

receiving, by the first wireless access node and from the provisioning server, a network address assigned to the first device for use on the first virtual wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network identifier is a network identifier assigned by the provisioning server to the second virtual wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wirelessly receiving the second packet comprises wirelessly receiving, from a second wireless access node, the tagged second packet.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wirelessly receiving the second packet comprises receiving the second packet via a mesh network comprising a plurality of wireless access nodes that redundantly interface the first wireless access node and the second wireless access node.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first wireless access node is a strand-mounted access node comprising a wired network interface to a wired network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the wired network comprises at least one fiber-optic link.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending, by the second wireless access node and to the provisioning server, the second packet.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the provisioning server and based on the first network identifier, that the first packet was received via the first virtual wireless network; and

determining, by the provisioning server and based on the second network identifier, that the second packet was received via the second virtual wireless network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual wireless network uses a first protocol and the second virtual wireless network uses a second protocol, wherein the first protocol and the second protocol are different.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first packet comprises a request for the network address from the provisioning server.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device via a wired network interface of a first access node, a first packet comprising a tag indicating a first virtual wireless network assigned by the computing device;

receiving, by the computing device and from a second access node via the first access node, a second packet comprising a tag indicating a second virtual wireless network, wherein the second access node communicates with the first access node via a direct wireless network interface of the first access node;

determining, by the computing device and based on the tag indicating the first virtual wireless network, that the first packet was wirelessly sent to the first access node via the first virtual wireless network; and

determining, by the computing device and based on the tag indicating the second virtual wireless network, that the second packet was wirelessly sent to the second access node by a user device via the second virtual wireless network;

assigning, by the computing device, a network address for the user device for the second virtual wireless network; and

sending, by the computing device and to the second access node via the first access node, the network address for the user device for the second virtual wireless network.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device and from the first access node, a third packet comprising a tag indicating a third virtual wireless network; and

determining, by the computing device and based on the tag indicating the third virtual wireless network, that the third packet was sent via the third virtual wireless network.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device and via the first access node and the second access node, a third packet wirelessly received by a third access node subsequent to the third access node failing in an attempt to transmit the third packet directly to the first access node.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first access node, the second access node, and the third access node are redundantly connected via a mesh network comprising a plurality of access nodes.

15. A network device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the network device to;

wirelessly receive, from a first device via a first virtual wireless network, a first packet;

wirelessly receive, via a second virtual wireless network, a second packet;

tag the first packet with a first network identifier assigned by a provisioning server to the first virtual wireless network;

tag the second packet with a second network identifier different from the first network identifier;

send, to the provisioning server, the tagged first packet and the tagged second packet; and

receive, from the provisioning server, a network address assigned to the first device for use on the first virtual wireless network.

16. The network device of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the network device to:

receive one or more packets via a mesh network redundantly interfacing the network device with a plurality of wireless access nodes.

17. The network device of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the network device to:

in response to a connection loss between the network device and a first wireless access node of the plurality of wireless access nodes, establish a connection with the first wireless access node via a second wireless access node of the plurality of wireless access nodes.

18. The network device of claim 15, comprising a wired network interface and a wireless network interface, wherein sending, to the provisioning server, the tagged first packet and the tagged second packet comprises sending the tagged first packet and the tagged second packet via the wired network interface.

19. The network device of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the network device to:

forward, to the provisioning server, a third packet wirelessly received by the network device and from a second wireless access node.

20. The network device of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the network device to:

receive, from the provisioning server, a response to the third packet; and

forward the response to the second wireless access node.

21. A system comprising:

a first wireless access node comprising;

one or more first processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the first wireless access node to;

wirelessly receive, via a first virtual wireless network and from a first device, a first packet;

wirelessly receive, via a second virtual wireless network, a second packet;

tag the first packet with a first network identifier assigned by a provisioning server to the first virtual wireless network;

tag the second packet with a second network identifier different from the first network identifier;

send, to the provisioning server, the tagged first packet and the tagged second packet; and

receive, from the provisioning server, a network address assigned to the first device for use on the first virtual wireless network; and

the provisioning server comprising;

one or more second processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the provisioning server to;

receive, from the first wireless access node, the tagged first packet and the tagged second packet;

assign, based on the tagged first packet, the network address to the first device for use on the first virtual wireless network; and

send, to the first wireless access node, the network address.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the first wireless access node, when executed by the one or more first processors, further cause the first wireless access node to:

receive one or more packets via a mesh network redundantly interfacing the first wireless access node with a plurality of wireless access nodes.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the first wireless access node, when executed by the one or more first processors, further cause the first wireless access node to:

in response to a connection loss between the first device and the first wireless access node, establish a connection with the first device via a second wireless access node of the plurality of wireless access nodes.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the first wireless access node, when executed by the one or more first processors, further cause the first wireless access node to:

forward, to the provisioning server, a third packet wirelessly received by the first wireless access node and from a second wireless access node.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the first wireless access node, when executed by the one or more first processors, further cause the first wireless access node to:

receive, from the provisioning server, a response to the third packet; and

forward the response to the second wireless access node.