Quality-of-service based wireless parallel redundant protocol solution

An apparatus comprising:

• a network interface that enables network communications;
• a processor;
• and
• a memory to store data and instructions executable by the processor,
• wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to:
• receive a first packet;
• determine whether the first packet includes a packet type indicator;
• in response to determining the first packet includes a packet type indicator, using the packet type indicator to determine whether the first packet is a first type or a second type;
• in response to either of (i) determining that the first packet does not include the packet type indicator, or (ii) determining that the first packet is the first type, duplicate the first packet to generate two duplicated packets;
• forward a first one of the duplicated packets to a wireless bridge device via a tunnel between the apparatus and the wireless bridge device, and forward a second one of the duplicated packets to one or more access points via a first wireless link between the apparatus and the one or more access points;
• and
• in response to determining that the first packet is the second type, forward the first packet to the wireless bridge device via the tunnel or forwarding the first packet to the one or more access points via the first wireless link.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• receive, at a first wireless bridge device, a first packet;
• determine whether the first packet includes a packet type indicator;
• in response to determining the first packet includes a packet type indicator, using the packet type indicator to determine whether the first packet is a first type or a second type;
• in response to either of (i) determining that the first packet does not include the packet type indicator, or (ii) determining that the first packet is the first type, duplicate the first packet to generate two duplicated packets;
• forward a first one of the duplicated packets to a second wireless bridge device via a tunnel between the first wireless bridge device and the second wireless bridge device, and forward a second one of the duplicated packets to one or more access points via a first wireless link between the first wireless bridge device and the one or more access points;
• and
• in response to determining that the first packet is the second type, forward the first packet to the second wireless bridge device via the tunnel or forwarding the first packet to the one or more access points via the first wireless link.