Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for altering stored firmware within a network device comprises receiving, by a first network device, information to download firmware. This information is provided from the first network device to at least a second network device, which is communicatively coupled to the first network device. The information enables the second network device to access a second version of firmware different than a first version of firmware installed on the second network device.

Abstract: Prioritizing traffic forwarding in a wireless mesh network. In a wireless mesh network using carrier detect multiple access—collision avoidance with backoff, such as mesh networks supporting IEEE 802.11 clients, access points in the mesh calculate a node rank based on downstream and upstream rank components. Access points in the mesh then generate backoff times inversely proportional to their node rank. This has the effect of prioritizing traffic at nodes that have higher rank. The downstream and upstream rank components take into account the amount of space occupied by downstream and upstream traffic, respectively, and are weighted by their position in the mesh tree.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a network device and/or method for computing coverage set and resource allocations in wireless networks. The disclosed network device selects a radio frequency subdomain in a wireless network, and further determines a coverage set for the selected radio frequency subdomain. The coverage set includes a subset of access nodes in the selected radio frequency domain. Moreover, a respective access node in the radio frequency subdomain satisfies one of (a) the respective access node is a member of the coverage set, and (b) the respective access node is covered by at least one member of the coverage set with a signal strength stronger than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A combination and correlation of data from multiple sensors in a wireless digital network is described. Sensors such as spectrum monitors, access points, and wireless client devices provide spectrum data to one or more central stations connected to the network. Spectrum data from multiple sensors is combined and correlated to provide insight into network operation such as spectrum maps, detection-range maps, and for network diagnostics. Sensors providing spectrum data may be synchronized. Correlating spectrum data from synchronized sensors allows more accurate location of sources such as interferers. The known EIRP of certain wireless devices may be used to improve location estimates, and these devices may be used as calibrations sources for sensors in the wireless network.

Abstract: Overlaying a Wireless Macro Cell architecture on a Micro Cell network. WLAN MAC Address Translation (WMAT) is used to translate BSSIDs from the BSSID used to initialize a radio in an access node and identify communications between the radio in the access node and a controller, and the BSSID used over the air for Macro Cell operation. WMAT is used for transmit operations, translating the BSSID of outgoing packets to the Macro Cell BSSID prior to wireless transmission. On the receive side, packets undergo WMAT and transmission to the controller if the STN MAC address of the sender is in an ACK table associated with the radio, or the packet is one of a predetermined type. The ACK table is managed by transmit operations, and by control commands from the controller.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method and network device for achieving enhanced performance with multiple CPU cores in a network device having a symmetric multiprocessing architecture. The disclosed method allows for storing, by each central processing unit (CPU) core, a non-atomic data structure, which is specific to each networking CPU core, in a memory shared by the plurality of CPU cores. Also, the memory is not associated with any locking mechanism. In response to a data packet is received by a particular CPU core, the disclosed system will update a value of the non-atomic data structure corresponding to the particular CPU core. The data structure may be a counter or a fragment table. Further, a dedicated CPU core is allocated to process only data packets received from other CPU cores, and is responsible for dynamically responding to queries receives from a control plane process.

Abstract: A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed on one or more processors, cause performance of operations. The operations include: receiving a first message from a device; determining, in response to the first message, a media access control (MAC) address of the device; and transmitting, in response to the first message, a second message comprising the MAC address to the device.

Abstract: A method and system for call capacity control in a mesh network are disclosed. The mesh network uses on-device SIP proxy and includes multiple client devices, mesh points (“MPs”), and mesh access points (“MAPs”). The method of updating call capacity information (“CCI”) is also disclosed. Adaptive Wireless Routing (“AWR”) protocol is used to establish connectivity among all the mesh access points. Messages are sent to one or more of the plurality of nodes on a periodic basis or as triggered by changes in the call capacity of an MAP, wherein the routing update messages include call capacity information. CAC modules on mesh portals or mesh access points can use the call capacity information to build up a CCI database for all the MAPs in the mesh cloud to assist in the CAC decision-making.

Abstract: A method and system for radio frequency management (RFM) in a mesh network using a path distance factor (PDF) is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method, comprises calculating a path distance factor (PDF) between a first mesh router and a portal. A frame is transmitted to a second mesh router, wherein the frame includes the path distance factor.

Abstract: A method is described for moving one or more access points between neighboring enterprise networks such that one or more threshold requirements of the networks are met. By reconfiguring access points to move between enterprise networks, the method provides a highly flexible network system that utilizes environmental and/or operational data to dynamically meet the needs of associated client devices and consumers.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a system and method for task processing and resource sharing in a distributed wireless system. The system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the system to: identify a plurality of nodes in a distributed wireless system, each node of the plurality of nodes associated with a radio frequency neighborhood, the radio frequency neighborhood of one node including one or more other nodes that hear beacons from the one node; assign a task to the plurality of nodes; split the task into a plurality of subtasks; assign the plurality of subtasks to the plurality of nodes; receive a plurality of subtask processing results from the plurality of nodes; and combine the plurality of subtask processing results to generate a task processing result for the task.

Abstract: Services in a network device are added through providing virtual environments. Virtualization allows services based on other platforms or architectures to be run with minimum modification and in a secure manner. Connecting services to the host through a stateful firewall allows dynamic integration, and passes only traffic of interest to the service. Virtualization allows services written for different instruction architectures to be supported. Multiple virtualized environments each supporting a service may be run.

Abstract: Disclosed herein, one embodiment of the disclosure is directed to a system, apparatus, and method for enabling simultaneous transmit and receive in the same Wi-Fi band within a device by first obtaining a first information corresponding to a first set of signals to be transmitted wirelessly by a first antenna of a first device and transmitting, by the first antenna of the first device, the first set of signals. Then, a second set of signals comprising: (a) the first set of signals transmitted by the first antenna of the first device and (b) a third set of signals transmitted by a second device different than the first device are received by a second antenna of the first device. Thereafter, a second information representing the second set of signals received by the second antenna of the first device is obtained. Last, based on the first information and the second information, a third information comprising an estimation of the third set of signals without the first set of signals is determined.

Abstract: Assigning slots to nodes in a mesh network. Slot numbers are assigned to nodes in a wireless mesh network using a depth-first search combined with information on 2-hop neighborhoods for each node. Assigning slots using 2-hop neighborhood information allows slots to be safely reused. The slot assignment process may take process in parallel using different wireless channels for different subtrees rooted to a controller. Slot assignment may be repeated when the mesh topology changes. Reporting using the slot numbers allows for information from child nodes to be aggregated or filtered at parent nodes.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a non-transitory computer readable medium for configuring a noise floor of a network device based on the detection of a non-Wi-Fi signal is described. One embodiment of the non-transitory computer readable medium comprises instructions that detect a non-Wi-Fi signal, determine a noise floor based on at least one attribute of the non-Wi-Fi signal and configure the noise floor of the network device such that the network device receives signals with a signal strength above the noise floor value.

Abstract: Assigning clients to VLANs on a digital network. A client attaching to a digital network through a network device is initially assigned to a first VLAN. This VLAN may have restricted access and is used for authentication. The device snoops DHCP traffic on this first VLAN rewriting DHCP traffic from the client to request a short lease time for the client. A short lease time may be on the order of 30 seconds. The device optionally rewrites DHCP traffic to the client on the first VLAN to assure a short lease time is returned; this rewriting supports DHCP servers which do not issue short leases. Traffic on this first VLAN may be limited to authentication such as captive portals, 802.1x, Kerberos, and the like. If client authentication on the first VLAN does not succeed, when the short lease expires, the client will receive another short lease on the first VLAN. The network device snoops authentication traffic.

Abstract: Methods of operating devices on a wireless network as access points (AP) or spectrum monitors (SM). An adaptive radio management (ARM) process operating on the digital network senses network conditions based on data from APs and SMs on the network, and in response to conditions changes devices from AP operation to SM operation, and from SM operation back to AP operation. A method for providing wideband spectrum analysis functions on a radio operating as an AP on a channel proving client connectivity services. A method for scanning off-channel for shorter durations between transmissions to collect spectral data and a method for explicitly quieting IEEE 802.11 transmissions on a channel to collect spectral data.

Abstract: A method includes computing a minimum sensitivity threshold value for a particular wireless device, configuring the particular wireless device to receive wireless signals with a signal strength higher than the minimum sensitivity threshold value, distributing the minimum sensitivity threshold value to other wireless devices, and configuring the other wireless devices based on the minimum sensitivity threshold value for the particular wireless device.

Abstract: Determining whether a station is at the edge of wireless local area network (WLAN) coverage. In an IEEE 802.11 wireless network comprising one or more access points (APs) which may optionally be connected to one or more controllers, with wireless clients connected to those APs. Station S connected to AP A collects reports such as beacon reports which contains information on all APs station S can hear, including signal strengths. AP A collects a neighbor report which contains information on all APs in its neighborhood including signal strengths. These reports from A and S are observed and compared over time to determine when S is at or is moving to the edge of WLAN coverage. For example, if the only entry in the beacon list for client S is AP A to which it is connected, and the signal strength is decreasing over time, S is at the edge of WLAN coverage and is moving away from the WLAN. The process may be implemented at a controller, at a client, or both.

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.