System and method for determining and representing one or more potential physical locations of a newly detected wireless network device

Abstract

A previously unknown wireless device, which may be either an access point or a station, is detected by receipt of transmissions from that device at one or more access points that are currently operating within a managed wireless network. A graphic representation of the newly detected device is displayed in a region of a user interface external to a region containing a representation of the physical environment of the managed wireless network. A user selects a number of known access points from which an estimated distance to the newly detected device is to be determined and represented. A representation is generated of an estimated distance from each one of the selected number of access points, such as those access points that are estimated to be physically closest to the newly detected device, for example on the asis of signal strength with regard to transmissions from the newly detected device received at the known access points. The distance representations from the known access points may be provided using substantially circular 'distance rings', displayed in the region of the user interface containing a representation of the physical environment in which the wireless network is deployed. The distance rings enable a user to may observe one or more distance ring intersections indicating one or more potential positions within the wireless network's physical environment at which the newly detected device may be located.