Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatuses for distributing multicast traffic through a wireless mesh network are disclosed. One apparatus includes an access node that includes one or more transceivers for communicating with other devices of a wireless mesh network, and a processor. The processor is operative to receive a unicast IP packet that includes a special destination IP address through at least one of the one or more transceivers, determine, based on the special destination IP address and a multicast group ID of a multicast distribution table, whether to forward the unicast IP packet to a downstream device, and route the unicast IP packet to the downstream device based on the determination.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatuses of establishing an IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) VPN (Virtual Private Network) tunnel are disclosed. One method includes receiving, by a wireless mesh network access point, a user configuration, wherein the user configuration includes a type of traffic, determining an internal interface of the wireless mesh network access node based on the type of traffic, dynamically determining a local endpoint address for the IPsec VPN tunnel based on the selected internal interface, establishing the IPsec VPN tunnel through the selected internal interface of the wireless mesh network access node, and encapsulating non-IP packets of non-IP traffic within IP packets.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatuses of establishing an IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) VPN (Virtual Private Network) tunnel are disclosed. One method includes receiving, by a wireless mesh network access point, a user configuration, wherein the user configuration includes a type of traffic, determining an internal interface of the wireless mesh network access node based on the type of traffic, dynamically determining a local endpoint address for the IPsec VPN tunnel based on the selected internal interface, and establishing the IPsec VPN tunnel through the selected internal interface of the wireless mesh network access node.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of supporting peer-to-peer communication of a wireless mesh network is disclosed. The method includes a node within the wireless mesh network maintaining a routing table that indicates a first route to a client device. If the node receives a better route to the client device, the node deletes the first route, and sends a route delete to a next hop device of the first route of the client device.

Abstract: A method of selecting access points of a wireless network as redundant aggregation devices is disclosed. The method includes monitoring parameters of the access points. A plurality of the access points are selected as redundant aggregation devices based upon the monitored access point parameters. Each of the redundant aggregation devices maintains client information parameters of clients associated with the wireless network.

Abstract: Methods of correlating wireless network performance of a wireless network are disclosed. One method includes collecting wireless network performance parameters at a location of the network, observing at least one of activities and conditions of the wireless network over the period of time, and correlating the wireless network performance parameters with at least one of the activities and conditions of the wireless network. The wireless network performance parameters can be collected by one or more test devices operating at nodes or clients within the wireless network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of allowing client roaming between gateways of a wireless mesh network is disclosed. The gateways are connected through a layer 3 network to an aggregation router. The method includes a first gateway sending a first route update to the aggregation router when a client joins a first cluster of the first gateway, the first gateway aging the route, and a second gateway sending a second route update to the aggregation router when the client roams to a second cluster of the second gateway.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatuses of establishing an IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) VPN (Virtual Private Network) tunnel are disclosed. One method includes receiving, by a wireless mesh network access point, a user configuration, wherein the user configuration includes a type of traffic, determining an internal interface of the wireless mesh network access node based on the type of traffic, dynamically determining a local endpoint address for the IPsec VPN tunnel based on the selected internal interface, and establishing the IPsec VPN tunnel through the selected internal interface of the wireless mesh network access node.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatuses for updating multicast group information of a client device of a wireless mesh network are disclosed. One method includes an access node of the wireless mesh network determining multicast group information of the client device that is connected to the access node, and the access node providing routing updates to upstream access nodes and a first upstream gateway, wherein the multicast group information of the client device is included within the routing updates of the client device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of a wireless node mitigating the effects of uncoordinated interference is disclosed. One embodiment of a method includes the wireless node monitoring uncoordinated interference affecting transmissions of the wireless node, and evaluating a plurality of wireless links, the evaluation influenced at least in part on the monitored uncoordinated interference.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of a wireless access node within a network characterizing uncoordinated interference is disclosed. One method includes the wireless node collecting air-time usage history as perceived by the wireless access node. The wireless access node receives air-time usage history as perceived by at least one neighboring wireless node. The wireless access node comparatively analyzes the collected air-time usage and the received air-time usage.

Abstract: A method of characterizing transmission of a node of a wireless network is disclosed. The method includes determining a neighbor function based on how many neighboring nodes are affected by a neighbor function based on how many neighboring nodes are affected by signals transmitted from the node at varying power levels. For a range of transmission path losses between the node and neighboring nodes, transmission power levels and transmission data rates are calculated that minimize an air-time metric, wherein the air-time metric is dependent on the neighbor function and an air-time occupied by transmission packets.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of a wireless network timing transmission of multiple BSSID beacons is disclosed. One method includes a method of a wireless access node within a wireless mesh network timing transmission of multiple BSSID beacons. The method includes the access node identifying multiple personalities of the wireless mesh network, wherein a separate MAC address corresponding with each of the personalities. The access node assigns a beacon type for each of the personalities. During each transmission frame, the access node consecutively transmits a plurality of the beacon types, wherein the different beacon types are consecutively spaced during transmission by a predetermined period. The predetermined period is substantially less than a time duration of each transmission frame.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for communicating link quality information between access nodes is disclosed. A first step includes a first access node transmitting first routing packets. A second step includes a second access node receiving at least one of the first routing packets over a first direction of a first link. A third step includes the second access node transmitting second routing packets. A fourth step includes the first access node receiving at least one of the second routing packets over a second direction of the first link, and determining a first direction link quality of the first link based upon the second routing packets.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of classifying data packets is disclosed. One method includes a wireless access node identifying a flow of data packets based on source and destination addresses of the data packets. The wireless access node classifies the data packets of the identified flow of data packets as requiring a predetermined quality of service by determining if the identified flow of data packets comprise an inter-arrival time less than a first inter-arrival threshold.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods of using multiple radios of a wireless access node of a wireless network are disclosed. One method includes selecting a 4.9 GHz radio exclusively for public safety data packets, selecting other radios for other types of data packets, and selecting other radios for public safety data packets depending upon specification by a network operator.

Abstract: A method of determining a location of a network condition within a wireless mesh network is disclosed. The method includes a test device testing a first plurality of wireless hops of the wireless mesh network. The test device also tests a second number of wireless hops of the wireless mesh network. The test device locates the network condition within the wireless mesh network by comparing the test of the first plurality of wireless hops with the test of the second number of wireless hops.

Abstract: A method of providing connectivity between subnets of a wireless network is disclosed. The method includes each gateway of each subnet selecting less than all gateways of each other subnet of the wireless network. An adjacency is formed between each gateway and each of the less than all selected gateways of each other subnet.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of a method of a wireless mesh network proposing access nodes for conversion to gateways is disclosed. The method includes each access node of the wireless mesh network measuring wireless mesh network metrics. A server connected to the wireless mesh network obtains the network metrics, and calculates a desirability of conversion of at least one access node to a gateway based upon the network metrics. An apparatus and method of a server of a wireless mesh network calculating which access nodes of the wireless mesh network should be converted to gateways is also disclosed. The method includes the server receiving wireless mesh network metrics from the access nodes, and calculating which of the access nodes should be converted based upon the network metrics.

Abstract: A methods and apparatuses of adaptively capping data throughput of client devices associated with a wireless network are disclosed. One method includes monitoring an air-time per bit efficiency of each client device associated with the wireless network. A data throughput cap for each client device is adaptively determined based on the air-time per bit efficiency of the client device.