Network awareness of device location

#A network such as a wireless local area network can comprise one or more access points (AP) to provide a means for one or more user devices to communicate with and/or over the network. An access point can comprise a device that allows wireless user devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or related standards.

#Often, a Media Access Control address (MAC address) is assigned to network interfaces, such as AP's, to facilitate addressable communications on a physical network segment. MAC addresses can be used for numerous network technologies, including most IEEE 802 network technologies, including Ethernet. Logically, MAC addresses can be used in the media access control protocol sub-layer of the open systems interconnection (OSI) reference model.

#Currently, when a user device initially connects to a particular first AP of a network, the MAC address for the AP that the user device is connecting through is detected. The detected MAC address can be transmitted to a gateway of the network for addressing and referencing the user device on the network. However, when the user device roams to a second AP on the same network, the MAC address information of the second AP may not be detected or updated. Accordingly, improvements are needed for monitoring and locating devices connected or trying to connect to the network.

#The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the methods and systems:

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system and network;

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing device;

#Before the present methods and systems are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that the methods and systems are not limited to specific methods, specific components, or to particular implementations. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.

#As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.

#“Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.