Auto-configuration of wireless network extender

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016134469-A1
Application number	US-201514939067-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 12, 2015
Priority date	Nov 12, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media may be operable to facilitate the automatic configuration of a network extender with network parameters. An access point may identify a network extender and may determine whether the identified network extender is configured for an automatic configuration of network parameters based upon device description information retrieved during the identification of the network extender. The access point may output a configuration message to the identified network extender, the configuration message including one or more parameters associated with a network provided by the access point, and the network extender may apply the one or more parameters. The access point may periodically or conditionally provide the network extender with updates to the network parameters.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method for configuration of a network extender by an access point, the method comprising:
receiving a message from the network extender, wherein the message identifies the network extender to the access point; determining a network location of a server associated with the network extender; establishing a connection between the access point and the server associated with the network extender; and outputting a configuration message to the server associated with the network extender, wherein the configuration message comprises one or more network parameters.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the message received from the network extender comprises an advertisement message.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
outputting a search message from the access point; and wherein the message received from the network extender comprises a search response message.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving device description information associated with the network extender; and determining that the network extender supports automatic configuration based upon a comparison of the device description information associated with the network extender to device description information identifying one or more devices that support automatic configuration.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a digital certificate associated with the network extender; and authenticating the digital certificate associated with the network extender using a root certificate stored at the access point.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more network parameters comprise parameters associated with one or more service sets that are configured at the access point.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more network parameters comprise parameters that, when applied at the network extender, allow the network extender to pass communications between a client device and the access point.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the access point does not receive an acknowledgement message from the network extender in response to the output of the configuration message; outputting one or more subsequent configuration messages to the server associated with the network extender.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an update to one or more network parameters at the access point; and outputting a subsequent configuration message to the server associated with the network extender, wherein the subsequent configuration message comprises the updated one or more network parameters.

10 . An apparatus comprising:
an interface configured to be used to receive a message identifying a network extender; one or more modules configured to:
determine a network location of a server associated with the network extender; and
establish a connection with the server associated with the network extender; and
an interface configured to be used to output a configuration message to the server associated with the network extender, wherein the configuration message comprises one or more network parameters.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the message identifying the network extender comprises an advertisement message.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the message identifying the network extender comprises a search response message that is output from the network extender in response to receiving a search message.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the one or more modules are further configured to:
retrieve a digital certificate associated with the network extender; and authenticate the digital certificate associated with the network extender using a root certificate.

14 . One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions operable to cause one or more processors to perform the operations comprising:
receiving a message from a network extender, wherein the message identifies the network extender to an access point; determining a network location of a server associated with the network extender; establishing a connection between the access point and the server associated with the network extender; and outputting a configuration message to the server associated with the network extender, wherein the configuration message comprises one or more network parameters.

15 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the message received from the network extender comprises an advertisement message.

16 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further operable to cause one or more processors to perform the operations comprising:
outputting a search message from the access point; and wherein the message received from the network extender comprises a search response message.

17 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further operable to cause one or more processors to perform the operations comprising:
retrieving device description information associated with the network extender; determining that the network extender supports automatic configuration based upon a comparison of the device description information associated with the network extender to device description information identifying one or more devices that support automatic configuration.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further operable to cause one or more processors to perform the operations comprising:
receiving a digital certificate associated with the network extender; and authenticating the digital certificate associated with the network extender using a root certificate stored at the access point.

19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the one or more network parameters comprise parameters associated with one or more service sets that are configured at the access point.

20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further operable to cause one or more processors to perform the operations comprising:
receiving an update to one or more network parameters at the access point; and outputting a subsequent configuration message to the server associated with the network extender, wherein the subsequent configuration message comprises the updated one or more network parameters.

Assignees

• Arris Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Carter Wade E
• Negahdar Ali
• Lumbatis Kurt Alan
• Lyda Angela

Classifications

• H04L63/0823 Primary

  using certificates (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263) · CPC title

• H04W76/14

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• H04L41/0803 Primary

  Configuration setting · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W16/26

  Cell enhancers {or enhancement}, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow · CPC title