Method and control of hop limitation in wi-fi multi-access point device network

A method of operating a WLAN access point controller device with a first wireless extender device, a root APD, and a second wireless extender device, the root APD having a root fronthaul BSS and a root backhaul BSS, the second wireless extender device having a first fronthaul BSS and a first backhaul BSS, said method comprising:

• configuring, via a processor configured to execute instructions stored on a memory, the first wireless extender device not to exceed a configurable hop limit;
• causing, via the processor, the first wireless extender device to initiate messaging with the root APD via the root fronthaul BSS to receive credentials for the root backhaul BSS;
• causing, via the processor, the first wireless extender device to onboard onto the root APD via first the backhaul BSS using the obtained credentials;
• enabling, via the processor, the second wireless extender device to initiate messaging to the first fronthaul BSS of the first wireless extender device to obtain the credentials for the first backhaul BSS;
• and
• preventing, via the processor and in a case that the configurable hop limit is configured to be one, the second wireless extender device from onboarding onto the backhaul BSS of the first wireless extender device so as to cause the second wireless extender device to only be permitted to onboard onto the root APD.

A non-transitory, computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions being capable of being read by a WLAN access point controller device with a first wireless extender device, a root APD, and a second wireless extender device, the root APD having a root fronthaul BSS and a root backhaul BSS, the second wireless extender device having a first fronthaul BSS and a first backhaul BSS, wherein the computer-readable instructions are capable of instructing the WLAN access point controller device to perform the method comprising:

• configuring, via a processor configured to execute instructions stored on a memory, the first wireless extender device not to exceed a configurable hop limit;
• causing, via the processor, the first wireless extender device to initiate messaging with the root APD via the root fronthaul BSS to receive credentials for the root backhaul BSS;
• causing, via the processor, the first wireless extender device to onboard onto the root APD via the backhaul BSS using the obtained credentials;
• enabling, via the processor, the second wireless extender device to initiate messaging to the first fronthaul BSS of the first wireless extender device to obtain the credentials for the first backhaul BSS;
• and
• preventing, via the processor and in a case that the configurable hop limit is configured to be one, the second wireless extender device from onboarding onto the backhaul BSS of the first wireless extender device so as to cause the second wireless extender device to only be permitted to onboard onto the root APD.