Accedian Networks Inc.

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Hewlett-packard Company

Pierre Trudeau

Claude Robitaille

Gilbert Moineau

Anil Gupta

Roger D Sands

Yannick Koehler

Richard H Blanchette

Martin Bouchard

Fréderic D Mouveaux

Stephane Laroche

Hien Nguyen

Thomas S Stefanski

Stéphane Laroche

Frederic D Mouveaux

A method of determining the latency of path segments in a communication network that uses multi-bit data packets comprises generating a test packet for use in determining the latency of path segments in the network; transmitting the test packet from a first device coupled to the network; storing in the test packet the time when a preselected bit in the test packet is transmitted from the first device; when the test packet is received by a second device coupled to the network, storing in the second device at least one of (a) the time when a preselected bit in the test packet is received by the second device and (b) the difference between (i) the time when the preselected bit in the test packet is transmitted from the first device and (ii) the time when the test packet is received by the second device.

Method for devices in a network to participate in an end-to-end measurement of latency

A wireless network access device includes a radio and support for virtual access points. According to the invention, each virtual access point has an independently configurable quality-of-service profile. The per-VAP QoS support enables multiple services to be delivered from a single physical access point. A plurality of transmit/receive queues are associated with each virtual access point (VAP) configured on the access device. Each queue in the plurality of queues is associated with a given quality-of-service level, such as (in decreasing order of priority): voice, video, best effort data, and background data. The access device further includes a data transfer mechanism in the form of a data packet forwarding engine that, for each VAP, transfers data from the plurality of queues to enforce the per-VAP QoS policy.

Configurable quality-of-service support per virtual access point (VAP) in a wireless LAN (WLAN) access device

To enable a network apparatus to detect L3 roaming users and to take appropriate forwarding actions, L3 knowledge is introduced inside an L2 bridge forwarding table in the network apparatus. As a client moves from a subnet associated with a first network element to a subnet associated with the network apparatus, a determination is made regarding whether the client is roaming by evaluating a source IP address within a L3 packet header within a first frame received at the network apparatus. If, as a result of the evaluating step, it is determined that the client is roaming, the L2 bridge forwarding table is configured to include a source MAC address of the client together with information identifying a destination interface for use in directing client data traffic back towards the subnet associated with the first network element.

Network apparatus enabling roaming across subnets

Call admission control within a wireless network is implemented using a service controller that manages a set of access points. The call admission control (CAC) function for a given access point determines whether the access point has sufficient unused bandwidth to handle an additional call. The service controller makes this determination by monitoring the access points and evaluating certain probability functions and load conditions. In one embodiment, a determination of whether the access point has sufficient unused bandwidth to handle an additional call is a function of two (2) independent probabilities: (i) a probability of an active session moving to the access point from one or more neighbor access points, and (ii) a probability of an idle mobile device already associated with the access point entering into a new active session by initiating an inbound or outbound call. According to another aspect, the service controller issues and manages 'call admission credits' among the set of access points, where a call admission credit value indicates a number of calls that idle mobile devices associated with the access point may initiate from the AP. The call admission credits value is a function of a determined load on the AP, and a mobility probability, which is a probability of an active call moving to the access point from one or more neighbor access points. The call admission credit value for the access point is adjusted as a function of a change of the load or in the mobility probability.

Call admission control for Wi-Fi

A system and method for granting access to a computer network. The method may include, for example, receiving at an access controller a request by a user to access the network using a computing device; providing the user with the option to retrieve a login page if authentication is required prior to network access being granted; using the access controller to verify user credentials provided by the user on the login page, the using the access controller to verify user credentials comprising: comparing a source IP address of a transmission control protocol connection request with a locally defined list of authorized user credentials stored in the access controller; and determining whether a White List associated with the access controller comprises a destination IP address; and granting the user access to the network if the user credentials are verified.

System and method for providing HTML authentication using an access controller

To enable devices to detect L3 roaming users and to take appropriate forwarding actions, L3 knowledge is introduced inside a bridge in a non-intrusive way. In particular, as a client moves from a subnet associated with a first network element to a subnet associated with a second network element, a determination is made regarding whether the client is roaming. This is done by evaluating a source IP address within a L3 packet header within a first frame received at the second network element. If, as a result of the evaluating step, it is determined that the client is roaming, an L2 bridge forwarding table in the second network element is configured to include a source MAC address of the client together with information identifying at least a destination interface for use in directing client data traffic back towards the subnet associated with the first network element. The first frame is then forwarded. In one embodiment, the traffic is directed back towards the subnet associated with the first network element via a GRE encapsulation tunnel, although any convenient tunneling mechanism can be used. According to another feature, given information cached at the foreign access point is used to enable the roaming client to continue to seamlessly receive inbound traffic prior to or during the configuration of the L2 bridge forwarding table (i.e., before any outbound traffic is actually sent from the client).

Seamless roaming across wireless subnets using source address forwarding

A fast roaming (handoff) service is provided for a WLAN infrastructure. A given mobile station (STA) obtains a pairwise master key (PMK) when it associates with an access point (AP) in the infrastructure. A neighbor graph identifies prospective APs to which the STA may then roam. At initialization, preferably the neighbor graph is fully-connected (i.e., each AP is assumed to be connected to every other AP). The PMK (obtained by the STA initially) is shared proactively with the neighbor APs as indicated in the neighbor graph. Thus, when the STA roams to a neighbor AP, because the PMK is already available, there is no requirement that the STA initiate a real-time request to an authentication server to re-associate to the new AP. Further, the new AP causes an update to the neighbor graph information implicitly by simply issuing a notification that it is now handling the STA that arrived from the prior AP; in this manner, the prior AP is confirmed as a neighbor, but there is no requirement for any inter-AP dialog before a given neighbor graph is updated. As roaming occurs the neighbor graph is pruned down (to reflect the actual neighbor AP connections) using the implicit notification data.

Fast roaming in a wireless network using per-STA pairwise master keys shared across participating access points

This invention pertains to the field of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). This invention allows a secure connection of a user client station to a base unit. The secure connection comprises the use of authentication and encryption means. The base unit comprises a switching unit, at least one firewall, an authentication/encryption unit and at least one port device. The invention also provides a secure roaming scheme when a roaming is performed by a wireless user.

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Lorraine, Canada

Pierre Trudeau