Optimizing security in wireless networks
AssigneeCharter Communications Operating, LLC
InventorsDileep Kumar Soma, Stephen Paul Emeott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi 7) network, an access point (AP) that supports multiple security protocols (e.g., WPA2 and WPA3) ignores probe requests for association and connection with the AP using WPA2 from clients that also support WPA3, while granting WPA2 probe requests from WPA2-only clients and WPA3 probe requests from WPA3-capable clients, thereby preventing WPA3-capable clients from connecting using the lower-security WPA2 protocol and guiding all clients to optimize the security of their connections with the AP.
Claims16
A method for an access point of a wireless network, wherein the access point supports at least a first security protocol and a higher-security, second security protocol, the method comprising the access point:
- receiving a first probe request from a first client device;
- positively determining that (i) the first probe request is for the first security protocol and (ii) the first client device supports the second security protocol, wherein the first probe request for the first security protocol explicitly identifies that the first client device supports the higher-security, second security protocol;
- and
- failing to transmit a positive response to the first client device based on determining that (i) the first probe request is for the first security protocol and (ii) the first client device supports the second security protocol, wherein failing to transmit a positive response to the first client device comprises either (i) not transmitting any response to the first client device or (ii) transmitting a negative response to the first client device.
An access point for a wireless network, wherein the access point supports at least a first security protocol and a higher-security, second security protocol, the access point comprising:
- a memory;
- and
- at least one processor, coupled to the memory and operative to:
- receive a first probe request from a first client device;
- positively determine that (i) the first probe request is for the first security protocol and (ii) the first client device supports the second security protocol, wherein the first probe request for the first security protocol explicitly identifies that the first client device supports the higher-security, second security protocol;
- and
- fail to transmit a positive response to the first client device based on determining that (i) the first probe request is for the first security protocol and (ii) the first client device supports the second security protocol, wherein the access point failing to transmit a positive response to the first client device comprises either (i) the access point not transmitting any response to the first client device or (ii) the access point transmitting a negative response to the first client device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.