Abstract: The performance and ease of management of wireless communications environments is improved by a mechanism that enables access points (APs) to perform automatic channel selection. A wireless network can therefore include multiple APs, each of which will automatically choose a channel such that channel usage is optimized. Furthermore, APs can perform automatic power adjustment so that multiple APs can operate on the same channel while minimizing interference with each other. Wireless stations are load balanced across APs so that user bandwidth is optimized. A movement detection scheme provides seamless roaming of stations between APs.

Abstract: Operation of a mobile voice client utilizing a WLAN for access is enhanced by controlling the rate at which transmission power is changed by the access point with which the mobile voice client is associated. The access point calculates a target transmit power level based at least in-part on the distance to the nearest fixed position wireless device and the distance to the mobile voice client. The access point then determines whether the target transmit power level differs from a current transmit power level. If the target transmit power level is greater than the current transmit power level, the current transmit power level is increased at a first controlled, non-instantaneous rate such as 1 dB per second. If the target transmit power level is less than the current transmit power level, the current transmit power level is decreased at a second controlled, non-instantaneous rate such as 1 dB per second.

Abstract: The performance and ease of management of wireless communications environments is improved by a mechanism that enables access points (APs) to perform automatic channel selection. A wireless network can therefore include multiple APs, each of which will automatically choose a channel such that channel usage is optimized. Furthermore, APs can perform automatic power adjustment so that multiple APs can operate on the same channel while minimizing interference with each other. Wireless stations are load balanced across APs so that user bandwidth is optimized. A movement detection scheme provides seamless roaming of stations between APs.

Abstract: The performance and ease of management of wireless communications environments is improved by a mechanism that enables access points (APs) to perform automatic channel selection. A wireless network can therefore include multiple APs, each of which will automatically choose a channel such that channel usage is optimized. Furthermore, APs can perform automatic power adjustment so that multiple APs can operate on the same channel while minimizing interference with each other. Wireless stations are load balanced across APs so that user bandwidth is optimized. A movement detection scheme provides seamless roaming of stations between APs.

Abstract: A wireless local area network client device scans for wireless local area networks using a scanning scheme that takes into account the relative prevalence, in a population of access points, of access point deployment on the channels to be scanned. In one aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned prior to channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed. In another aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned more often than channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed. In yet another aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned prior to and more often than channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed.

Abstract: Migrating from a legacy spectrum allocation to a target spectrum allocation can be accomplished by adding new access points and, at a selected time, activating the new access points and deactivating the legacy access points with a remote network manager. Alternatively, the new access points can initially support legacy channels and at a selected time be reconfigured to support only the target channels. Alternatively, the new access points are initially activated in a mode which supports only a subset of the target channels and at a selected time reconfigured to support only the target channels. A remote network manager may be employed to remotely monitor, reconfigure, and trigger activation and deactivation of access points in support of the technique. New access points adapted to respond to inputs from the remote network manager further facilitate the invention.

Abstract: The performance and ease of management of wireless communications environments is improved by a mechanism that enables access points (APs) to perform automatic channel selection. A wireless network can therefore include multiple APs, each of which will automatically choose a channel such that channel usage is optimized. Furthermore, APs can perform automatic power adjustment so that multiple APs can operate on the same channel while minimizing interference with each other. Wireless stations are load balanced across APs so that user bandwidth is optimized. A movement detection scheme provides seamless roaming of stations between APs.

Abstract: Methods and systems for wireless network management are described. In one embodiment, a radio measurement of a characteristic of a wireless access technology may be taken. The wireless access technology may enable data communication through a wireless network when connected to an access point. A report may be transmitted through an alternate access technology. The report may be based on the radio measurement. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.

Abstract: The performance and ease of management of wireless communications environments is improved by a mechanism that enables access points (APs) to perform automatic channel selection. A wireless network can therefore include multiple APs, each of which will automatically choose a channel such that channel usage is optimized. Furthermore, APs can perform automatic power adjustment so that multiple APs can operate on the same channel while minimizing interference with each other. Wireless stations are load balanced across APs so that user bandwidth is optimized. A movement detection scheme provides seamless roaming of stations between APs.

Abstract: A system and method for Access Point (AP) channel selection based upon a Channel Quality Index (CQI) is described. The Channel Quality Index (CQI) is a value which quantifies a transmission quality of a channel. The transmission quality is evaluated based on a combination of different types of measured interference in the channel. In one embodiment the different types of measured interference include co-channel congestion, adjacent channel interference and in-band interference. The CQI is a value derived from the measurements, and for example may be a sum of all of the measurements.

Abstract: A system and method for Access Point (AP) channel selection based upon a Channel Quality Index (CQI) is described. The Channel Quality Index (CQI) is a value which quantifies a transmission quality of a channel. The transmission quality is evaluated based on a combination of different types of measured interference in the channel. In one embodiment the different types of measured interference include co-channel congestion, adjacent channel interference and in-band interference. The CQI is a value derived from the measurements, and for example may be a sum of all of the measurements. Each AP of the present invention determines the CQI of potential transmission channels, and selects a channel for use which has the ‘best’ CQI; for example if the CQI is a sum of all measured interferences, the ‘best’ AP is the one with the lowest CQI.

Abstract: The performance and ease of management of wireless communications environments is improved by a mechanism that enables access points (APs) to perform automatic channel selection. A wireless network can therefore include multiple APs, each of which will automatically choose a channel such that channel usage is optimized. Furthermore, APs can perform automatic power adjustment so that multiple APs can operate on the same channel while minimizing interference with each other. Wireless stations are load balanced across APs so that user bandwidth is optimized. A movement detection scheme provides seamless roaming of stations between APs.

Abstract: A wireless local area network client device scans for wireless local area networks using a scanning scheme that takes into account the relative prevalence, in a population of access points, of access point deployment on the channels to be scanned. In one aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned prior to channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed. In another aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned more often than channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed. In yet another aspect, channels on which more access points in the population are deployed are scanned prior to and more often than channels on which fewer access points in the population are deployed.

Abstract: A method of enabling wireless data transfer to an electronic device having a first transceiver structured to interact with a first wireless network and a second transceiver structured to interact with a second wireless network including repeatedly powering up the second transceiver to await receipt of a second beacon signal through the second wireless network, receiving an instance of the second beacon signal with an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the first wireless network, and in response to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, powering up the first transceiver to receive the data through the first wireless network.

Abstract: A method of enabling wireless data transfer to an electronic device having a transceiver structured to interact in a first mode with a first wireless network and in a second mode with a second wireless network, including repeatedly powering up the transceiver and enabling the second mode to await receipt of a second beacon signal through the second wireless network, receiving an instance of the second beacon signal with an indication of availability of data to be transferred to the electronic device through the first wireless network, and in response to the receiving of the instance of the second beacon signal with the indication of availability of the data, enabling the first mode to receive the data through the first wireless network.

Abstract: A wireless local area network (WLAN) client device determines the WLAN regulatory domain in which it is currently located by using information received via a non-WLAN wireless interface. Once the regulatory domain has been determined, a WLAN client device operating in the 5 GHz band, for example, an IEEE 802.11a client device, may passively scan for wireless local area networks on channels in the 5 GHz band that are valid in the regulatory domain and may refrain from passively scanning on channels in the 5 GHz band that are not valid in the regulatory domain.

Abstract: In the presence of high priority traffic received at a mobile station over a wireless medium or to be transmitted by the mobile station over the wireless medium, a fragmentation threshold in a wireless local area network (WLAN) medium access control (MAC) layer of the mobile station is adjusted according to a highest priority of the traffic. Packets received by the WLAN MAC layer are fragmented into packets each of which is no larger than the fragmentation threshold.

Abstract: A mobile station associated with a base station determines a measure of the quality of a communication link between the mobile station and the base station. The measure takes into account (a) RF power levels of signals received at the mobile station over the link and (b) an actual data rate of communications over the link. This measure of the quality of the link may be a factor in triggering the mobile station to initiate a handoff.

Abstract: The performance and ease of management of wireless communications environments is improved by a mechanism that enables access points (APs) to perform automatic channel selection. A wireless network can therefore include multiple APs, each of which will automatically choose a channel such that channel usage is optimized. Furthermore, APs can perform automatic power adjustment so that multiple APs can operate on the same channel while minimizing interference with each other. Wireless stations are load balanced across APs so that user bandwidth is optimized. A movement detection scheme provides seamless roaming of stations between APs.

Abstract: Operation of a mobile voice client utilizing a WLAN for access is enhanced by controlling the rate at which transmission power is changed by the access point with which the mobile voice client is associated. The access point calculates a target transmit power level based at least in-part on the distance to the nearest fixed position wireless device and the distance to the mobile voice client. The access point then determines whether the target transmit power level differs from a current transmit power level. If the target transmit power level is greater than the current transmit power level, the current transmit power level is increased at a first controlled, non-instantaneous rate such as 1 dB per second. If the target transmit power level is less than the current transmit power level, the current transmit power level is decreased at a second controlled, non-instantaneous rate such as 1 dB per second.