Abstract: An omni-directional antenna supporting simultaneous transmission/reception, from the same AP, on multiple frequencies, allowing each AP to communicate using each possible frequency. Each AP multiplexes its outgoing signals onto its transmitting antenna, and de-multiplexes its incoming signals from its receiving antenna. The transmitting and receiving antennae are each substantially located in each other's NULL zone (or one is in the NULL zone of the other). The AP can transmit/receive on many distinct frequencies without needing more antennae.

Abstract: An access point coupled to an Ethernet port detects whether it is using power over Ethernet, and if so, adjusts its operation to maintain its power requirements within those capable of being supplied by power over Ethernet. The access point might include a detector capable of determining if external power is available, or if that access point is operating using power over Ethernet. If the access point is operating using power over Ethernet, it adjusts the operation of its radios, gracefully degrading those radios from (first) both radios operating in 3×3 mode, to (second) a first radio operating in 3×3 mode and a second radio operating in 2×2 mode, to (third) both radios operating in 2×2 mode. The power adaptation circuit may also throttle clock speeds in the system (processor or peripherals), or shut down or idle various peripherals to lower power consumption for the duration consumption is high.

Abstract: Wireless security is enforced at L1, in addition to or in lieu of other layers. AP's can switch dynamically from serving to scanning. Scanners listen for authorized frame headers. Scanners either receive, or allow authorized frames to be received, at their destination. Scanners kill unauthorized frames while they are still transmitting; scanners continue listening for and killing unauthorized frame headers until frame ending time demands their return to serving, multiplying their effectiveness. AP's include dual-mode multi-frequency omni-directional antennae, used to prevent third parties from snooping messages received at those AP's.

Abstract: An access point coupled to an Ethernet port detects whether it is using power over Ethernet, and if so, adjusts its operation to maintain its power requirements within those capable of being supplied by power over Ethernet. The access point might include a detector capable of determining if external power is available, or if that access point is operating using power over Ethernet. If the access point is operating using power over Ethernet, it adjusts the operation of its radios, gracefully degrading those radios from (first) both radios operating in 3x3 mode, to (second) a first radio operating in 3x3 mode and a second radio operating in 2x2 mode, to (third) both radios operating in 2x2 mode. The power adaptation circuit may also throttle clock speeds in the system (processor or peripherals), or shut down or idle various peripherals to lower power consumption for the duration consumption is high.

Abstract: AP's associated with a communication network and any wireless devices desiring contact, operated according to a protocol in which each wireless device selects AP's with which to communicate. A system coordinator causes the AP's to operate so as to guide each wireless device to an AP selected by the system coordinator. This has the effect that, notwithstanding that the protocol involves having the wireless device make the selection of AP, functionally, the AP's make the selection for it. In a 1st technique, multiple AP's share an identifier, with the system coordinator directing one particular AP to respond to the wireless device, thus appearing to wireless devices as a “personal cell”. In a 2nd technique, AP's each maintain identifiers substantially unique to each wireless device, with the system coordinator directing only one particular AP to maintain any particular wireless device's identifier, thus appearing to wireless devices as a “personal AP”.

Abstract: A communication system detects particular application protocols in response to their message traffic patterns, which might be responsive to packet size, average packet rate, burstiness of packet transmissions, or other message pattern features. Selected message pattern features include average packet rate, maximum packet burst, maximum future accumulation, minimum packet size, and maximum packet size. The system maintains a counter of packet tokens, each arriving at a constant rate, and maintains a queue of real packets. Each real packet is released from the queue when there is a corresponding packet token also available for release. Packet tokens overfilling the counter, and real packets overfilling the queue, are discarded. Users might add or alter application protocol descriptions to account for profiles thereof.

Abstract: AP's associated with a communication network and any wireless devices desiring contact, operated according to a protocol in which each wireless device selects AP's with which to communicate. A system coordinator causes the AP's to operate so as to guide each wireless device to an AP selected by the system coordinator. This has the effect that, notwithstanding that the protocol involves having the wireless device make the selection of AP, functionally, the AP's make the selection for it. In a 1st technique, multiple AP's share an identifier, with the system coordinator directing one particular AP to respond to the wireless device, thus appearing to wireless devices as a “personal cell”. In a 2nd technique, AP's each maintain identifiers substantially unique to each wireless device, with the system coordinator directing only one particular AP to maintain any particular wireless device's identifier, thus appearing to wireless devices as a “personal AP”.

Abstract: A method of adapting wireless transmission rates that includes the steps of determining at least a short-term loss ratio for wireless communication during a window of time, and adapting a transmission rate responsive to at least the short-term loss ratio, a maximum tolerable loss threshold for the communication during the window, and an opportunistic rate increase threshold for the communication during the window. A size of the window, the maximum tolerable loss threshold, and the opportunistic rate increase threshold are responsive to the transmission rate used for the communication. Preferably, the window is re-started if the transmission rate changes. Also, systems, devices, and memories that embody the foregoing.

Abstract: Systems and methods for implementing a differential signal to noise ratio (DSNR) based rate adaptation for wireless networks are disclosed. The described methods probabilistically adapt the rate of data transmission based on an assessment of the causes of data loss. The described methods include determining a DSNR for data transmission during a predetermined window of time and adapting the transmission rate in a probabilistic manner responsive to the differential SNR and a differential SNR threshold for the data transmission.

Abstract: The present invention considers a direct sequence spread spectrum system wherein every user employs the same spreading code. In a preferred embodiment, received signal is correlated with the training signal. Peaks of correlator output are used to identify the delays corresponding to the significant multipath components. The delays that are within a predetermined number of chips of each other are associated with a hypothesized user. In an alternate embodiment, a user separation technique is used which is based on the observation that after the training period, different users send uncorrelated data. In another alternate embodiment, linear minimum mean squared error (LMMSE) based correlators locked to individual users are employed. These correlators only provide multipath components of their corresponding users as output.