SYSTEM AND NETWORK FOR WIRELESS NETWORK MONITORING

• US 20110128858A1
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trapeze Networks Incorporated (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Belden Inc., Trapeze Networks Incorporated (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tiwari, Manish, Matta, Sudheer Poorna Chandra
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel

Abstract

A technique for wireless network monitoring involves scanning channels using clients instead of access points. An example of a method according to the technique may include, for example, receiving from a wireless access point a command to perform a channel scanning function, listening on a channel associated with the channel scanning function, and sending RF data found on the channel to the wireless access point. Another example of a method according to the technique may include, for example, scanning a first channel, switching from the first channel to a second channel, sending data on the second channel to an access point, switching from the second channel to the first channel, and resuming scanning on the first channel. A system according to the technique may include one or more scanning clients, proxy clients, multi-channel clients, or other clients that are capable of scanning channels in lieu of an access point.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a wireless access point a command to perform a channel scanning function;

listening on a channel associated with the channel scanning function;

sending RF data found on the channel to the wireless access point.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the command from a switch to the wireless access point.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the command from the wireless access point to a wireless client associated with the wireless access point.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising listening on the channel for a period of time that is specified in the command.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering data using one or more of the categories consisting of channel number, mac address, frame type, and frame subtype.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a report from the RF data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a report from the RF data, wherein the sending the RF data found on the channel includes sending the report.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing countermeasures in response to the RF data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF data is 802.11 RF data.

10. A method comprising:

scanning a first channel of a plurality of wireless channels;

switching from the first channel to a second channel of the plurality of wireless channels, wherein an access point is on the second channel;

sending data on the second channel to the access point;

switching from the second channel to the first channel;

resuming scanning on the first channel.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising scanning each of the plurality of wireless channels.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a command from the access point, wherein the data sent to the access point is in accordance with the command.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein

switching from the first channel to the second channel includes a first client switching from the first channel to the second channel;

switching from the second channel to the first channel includes a second client switching from the second channel to the first channel.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a report using the data, wherein the sending the data on the second channel includes sending the report.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating a report using the data;

performing countermeasures in response to the report.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising using a proxy client to forward a command from the access point to a client, and to provide the data to the access point from the client.

17. A method comprising:

sending a command from an access point on a first channel to a proxy client;

switching the proxy client to a second channel;

forwarding the command from the proxy client to a client on the second channel;

generating a report that is responsive to the command;

switching the proxy client to the first channel;

forwarding the report from the proxy client to the access point.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein generating the report includes generating the report at the client, further comprising transmitting the report from the client to the proxy client.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising, after forwarding the command from the proxy client to the client, swapping the roles of the client and the proxy client such that the proxy client becomes the client, and the client becomes the proxy client, wherein, after the swapping of roles, the generating a report includes generating the report at the proxy client.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the report includes a frame report frame.