Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting the presence of a rogue router in a computer network is described. The method may include transmitting a router solicitation message. The method may also include receiving a plurality of response messages to the router solicitation message from a first plurality of router devices, wherein the response messages are used to perform an operation other than assigning an internet protocol (IP) address to the device.

Abstract: A method includes determining an optimized channel width between client devices and access points based on network conditions in a wireless network. In particular, the channel widths may be optimized to reduce airtime usage on access points and eliminate a high density condition while the client devices are steered to access points that provide the greatest channel capacity gains based on signal-to-noise-ratios for each spatial stream in a beamformed transmission.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a system and method for classifying Wi-Fi signals from Fourier transform samples. Generally, classifying Wi-Fi signals from Fourier transform samples includes: collecting and dividing Fourier transform samples into frequency blocks; determining the bandwidth for the Fourier transform sample; and determining whether the Fourier transform sample corresponds to a narrowband signal. Further, if a determination is made that the Fourier transform sample does not correspond to a narrowband signal, channel utilization is calculated based on a determination that the FFT sample corresponds to a Wi-Fi signal. If it is determined that the Fourier transform sample corresponds to a narrowband signal, then a determination is made that the FFT sample corresponds to a Wi-Fi signal based on certain criteria. The certain criteria may include one or more of a slope value, a number of sub-peak bins, an analysis of adjacent channels, characteristic matching, or other criteria.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a network device and/or method for adaptive antenna pattern management for wireless local area networks. A network device comprising an adaptive antenna receives a coverage area description and a wireless coverage objective for a wireless network. The network device also scans a plurality of channels in a plurality of directions to detect signal levels from one or more other network devices in the wireless network. The network device can then coordinate wireless signal coverage with the one or more other network devices based at least on the coverage area description, the wireless coverage objective, and the detected signal levels. Specifically, the network device may accomplish such coordination by switching or reshaping the adaptive antenna patterns based on adaptive antenna patterns of other network devices in the wireless network.

Abstract: HTTP-Based Captive Portal. Client requests through a device such as an access point or wired connection are routed through a captive portal switch (CPS). If the CPS determines that the client has not been authenticated, the CPS redirects (NATs) the client request to an internal HTTP proxy. The CPS HTTP proxy terminates the client request and opens a connection to a captive portal server. Thus, for an unauthenticated client, any HTTP request will be routed to the captive portal server. When client authentication at the captive portal server completes, the captive portal server returns a success code, such as embedded in a web page delivered to the client. When the CPS recognizes this success code, it disables the NAT for that client, allowing further requests to be passed through the network. The CPS may be hosted in a separate network appliance, or it may be a process hosted in the AP or on another AP in the network, or on a network device such as a controller or switch.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, causes performance of operation comprising: determining that a client device, in a first Internet Protocol (IP) subnet, is subscribed to a multicast group; determining that the client device is no longer in the first IP subnet; responsive to determining that the client device is no longer in the first IP subnet, transmitting a message on behalf of the client device to unsubscribe the client device from the multicast group is shown.

Abstract: A method and computer readable medium for network device workload balancing, including: selecting a particular network device for storing client information associated with a client device; subsequent to the client device disassociating with a first network device, receiving, by the particular network device from the first network device, the client information; and responsive to the client device associating with a second network device: transmitting, by the particular network device, the client information to the second network device, where the client device does not associate with the particular network device between associating with the first network device and the second network device.

Abstract: Adapting scanning of frequency channels of different or varying widths to collect wideband spectrum data is disclosed. Scanning methods and/or configurations are modified based upon the type and signal strength of the interferers present or expected in the spectrum. The system includes: selecting a portion for scanning, wherein the portion includes contiguous and non-contiguous segments, partitioning the selected portion into a first plurality of channels, where at least two of the plurality of channels have different widths, each of the first plurality of channels including contiguous or non-contiguous segments; during a first scan of the selected portion, scanning the selected portion of the radio frequency spectrum at least by scanning a first channel with a first width and scanning a second channel with a second width that is different than the first width; and based on the first scan, collecting data representing the selected portion of the radio frequency spectrum.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a non-transitory computer readable medium for improving the scalability and redundancy of a wireless communications network. One embodiment of the non-transitory computer readable medium comprises instructions that determine whether a same data stream is being received by a first access point from each of two or more network devices of a plurality of network devices, responsive at least to the determining operation, select a particular network device, of the plurality of network devices, for transmitting the data stream to the first access point, and configure the plurality of network devices such that the particular network device transmits the data stream to the first access point without any other network devices in the plurality of network devices transmitting the same data stream to the first access point.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a system and method for providing guest WiFi authentication based on physical proximity to a dedicated access point in a guest wireless network. Specifically, a network device determines that a client device associated with a guest user is located within close physical proximity to a particular access point in a guest wireless network, and authenticates the client device for guest wireless network access based on its close physical proximity to the particular access point without requiring any guest user registration. In particular, the network device determines a first signal strength level of a wireless signal received from the client device by the particular access point, and determines that the first signal strength level exceeds a threshold. The threshold is based on difference between signal strength levels of the wireless signal received at the client device and at a distance corresponding to the close physical proximity.

Abstract: Initiating peer-to-peer tunnels between clients in a mobility domain. Client traffic in a mobility domain normally passes from the initiating client to an access node, and from the access node through a tunnel to a controller, and then through another tunnel from the controller to the destination access node, and the destination client. When initiated by the controller, the access nodes establish a peer-to-peer tunnel for suitable client traffic, bypassing the “slow” tunnels through the controller with a “fast” peer-to-peer tunnel. Traffic through this “fast” tunnel may be initiated once the tunnel is established, or traffic for the “fast” tunnel may be queued up until traffic has completed passing through the “slow” tunnel.

Abstract: A system includes one or more hardware processors causing performance of operations. The operations include transmitting, by a first access point, a set of one or more wireless signals that include a request for feedback information. The set of wireless signals incorrectly identifies a second access point as the sender of the set of wireless signals instead of correctly identifying the first access point as the sender of the set of wireless signals. The operations further include receiving, from a client device associated with the second access point, a feedback information corresponding to the receipt of the set of wireless signals by the client device, and, based on the feedback information: determining a distance between the first access point and the client device that is associated with the second access point.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method comprises an operation of determining whether an ingress control message is locally terminated control traffic on a digital device prior to the ingress control message being forwarded to a hardware processor of the digital device for processing. A priority is assigned to the ingress control message based on information within the ingress control message, if the ingress control message is determined to be locally terminated control logic.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method and network device for providing a multicast aware beamforming mechanism in a WLAN. Specifically, a network device receives a multicast message to be transmitted to a plurality of client devices. The network devices then selects a first subset of client devices of the plurality of client devices for focusing a directional radiation pattern, and transmits the multicast message using the directional radiation pattern to the plurality of client devices. Note that, the multicast message is successfully received by each of the plurality of client devices. Further, the plurality of client devices includes (a) the first subset of client devices that are located in an approximate direction of the focus of the directional radiation pattern and (b) a second subset of client devices that are located in a different direction than the focus of the directional radiation pattern.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method and network device for improving location accuracy in multi-channel wireless networks. Specifically, to coordinate with other Access Points (APs) and improve location accuracy of client devices, each access point can (a) obtain a schedule of another neighboring AP; (b) switch to the operating channel of the neighboring AP at a scheduled time for communication exchanges between the neighboring AP and the client device, (c) listen to the communication exchanges between the neighboring AP and the client device; (d) collecting signal samples, e.g., signal strength associated with messages originated from the client device; and (e) send the report to the location engine to allow the location engine collect more signal samples associated with the client device, thereby more accurately determine the location of the client device; etc.

Abstract: Initiating peer-to-peer tunnels between clients in a mobility domain. Client traffic in a mobility domain normally passes from the initiating client to an access node, and from the access node through a tunnel to a controller, and then through another tunnel from the controller to the destination access node, and the destination client. When initiated by the controller, the access nodes establish a peer-to-peer tunnel for suitable client traffic, bypassing the “slow” tunnels through the controller with a “fast” peer-to-peer tunnel. Traffic through this “fast” tunnel may be initiated once the tunnel is established, or traffic for the “fast” tunnel may be queued up until traffic has completed passing through the “slow” tunnel.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, embodiments relate to a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method. The method includes receiving, by a controller, a first plurality of multicast advertisement packets from a first networking device on an external network, wherein the plurality of multicast advertisement packets are received at a first frequency, storing, by the controller, one of the first plurality of multicast advertisement packets in an advertisement packet repository, and transmitting, by the controller, information in the one of the plurality of advertisement packets on an internal network at a second frequency, wherein the second frequency is less frequent than the first frequency.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method and network device for adaptive DHCP assignment with VLAN pool. Specifically, a network device can assign a client device to a first Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN). The network device then detects a first DHCP Discover message, transmitted by a client device, corresponding to a first VLAN. Also, the network device determines that no DHCP offer message, responsive to the first DHCP Discover message, is transmitted to the client device. Then, the network device transmits on behalf of the client device a second DHCP Discover message for the second VLAN to a DHCP server, and receives a DHCP Offer message in response to the second DHCP Discover message. The network device then assigns the client device to a second VLAN, and subsequently transmits the DHCP Offer message for the second VLAN to the client device.

Abstract: A system configured to perform operations including: determining a first received signal strength, at a first locator device located at a first location, for a signal transmitted by a target device; determining a second received signal strength, at a second locator device located at a second location, for the signal transmitted by the target device; determining a third received signal strength, at a third locator device located at a third location, for the signal transmitted by the target device; determining an average received signal strength of the first, second, and third received signal strengths; and determining a first distance from the first locator device to the target device based at least on (a) the average received signal strength, (b) the first received signal strength, and (c) the distance from the first locator device to a circumcenter of the first location, the second location, and the third location.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a system and method for monitoring link quality between internetworking devices. The system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the system to: generate, at a first internetworking device, a marker-request packet that includes a current marker ID; send, from the first internetworking device, the marker-request packet to a second internetworking device; receive, at the first internetworking device, a marker-reply packet that responds to the marker-request packet from the second internetworking device, the marker-reply packet including the current marker ID and a previous marker ID; and determine, at the first network device, a link quality between the first internetworking device and the second internetworking device based at least in part on the marker-reply packet.