Cisco Technology, Inc.

Mike Mouawad

Siddhartha Dattagupta

Aaron H Averbuch

Aidan Nicholas Low

Kendra S Harrington

Xin Yi Liu

Nolan D O'Brien

William Tuttle

Techniques are presented for configuring multiple client devices to connect to a network device (e.g., a wireless router). In one embodiment, a setup application executing on one of the client devices determines if the network device has previously been configured. For example, the network device may broadcast a predefined network name to advertise that a user access point has been configured. If the polling setup application detects the predefined network name, then it can skip any steps that would configure the network device. Accordingly, the setup application only configures the client device to connect to the network device.

Automatic differentiation of setup type in router setup application

A smart network may include a smart network host device as well as a smart network connector device, a smart network extender device and one or more client devices configured to connect to the smart network. An installation module is configured to connect to the smart network host device to determine whether a user is attempting to setup multiple network devices substantially simultaneously. The installation module then configures the multiple network devices based on the other network devices connected to the smart network host device. The installation module simplifies setup of the smart network by combining the configuration of multiple network devices into a single setup flow.

Configuring multiple network devices in a setup flow

Techniques are presented for discovering a previously configured network device. In one embodiment, a basic service set identification (BSSID) that uniquely identifies a network device (i.e., a router) is saved when the network device or a client device is configured. The stored BSSID indicates that the network device has previously been configured. After the network device is reset&#x2014;i.e., one or more user-configurable settings return to their default settings&#x2014;a client device may execute a setup application to reconfigure the network device. The setup application may compare the BSSID being broadcasted by the network device with the BSSID stored in the memory. If the BSSIDs match, the setup application may automatically select the network device without user input. Because the network device was previously configured, the setup application assumes that the user is attempting to reconfigure the network device after it has been reset.

Identifying a wireless network device across factory resets

A system and method for causing concurrent setup of a wireless network adapter and a network host device. The method involves receiving a request to install either a wireless network adapter or a network host device. If the request is to install the wireless network adapter, then the method further involves detecting that the network host device is not yet installed, and prompting a user to connect to the network host device. Alternatively, if the request is to install the network host device, then the method further involves detecting that the wireless network adapter is not yet installed, and prompting the user to connect to the wireless network adapter. The method also involves causing a connection to be established between the wireless network adapter and the network host device.

Growing community of inventors

Laguna Hills, CA, United States of America

Mike Mouawad