System and network for wireless network monitoring

• US 8,116,275 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trapeze Networks Incorporated (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Trapeze Networks Incorporated (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Matta, Sudheer Poorna Chandra, Tiwari, Manish
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Sharad
• Application Number:
  US12/785,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20110128858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 455/434, 455/450, 455/41.2, 455/67.11, 370/329, 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/329
• 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, at a non-access point (non-AP) wireless station, from a wireless access point a command to scan for a frame type;

filtering, at the non-AP wireless station, RF data with the frame type to produce filtered RF data; and

sending, from the non-AP wireless station, the filtered RF data 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 a channel for a period of time that is specified in the command.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering data using at least one of channel number, mac address, or frame subtype.

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

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a report from the filtered RF data, the sending the filtered RF data including sending the report.

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

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

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering includes filtering the RF data with the frame type and a predetermined MAC address associated with a device to produce the filtered RF data.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the frame type is associated with a disassociate frame.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the frame type is associated with a disassociate frame; and

the filtering includes filtering the RF data with the frame type and a predetermined MAC address to produce the filtered RF data.

10. A method comprising:

scanning, at a non-access point (non-AP) wireless station, a first channel of a plurality of wireless channels;

filtering, at the non-AP wireless station, RF data with a frame type found on the first channel to produce filtered RF data;

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

sending, from the non-AP wireless station, the filtered RF data on the second channel to the access point;

switching, at the non-AP wireless station, from the second channel to the first channel;

resuming, at the non-AP wireless station, 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, the filtered RF data being sent from the non-AP wireless station 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 filtered RF data, the sending the filtered RF data on the second channel including sending the report.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating a report using the filtered RF data;

performing countermeasures in response to the report.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, at the non-AP wireless station, a command from the access point and forwarded from a proxy client

the sending the filtered RF data includes sending, from the non-AP wireless station, the filtered RF data to the access point via the proxy client.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the frame type is associated with a disassociate frame; and

the filtering includes filtering the RF data with the frame type and a predetermined MAC address to produce the filtered RF data.