Wireless load balancing across bands
AssigneeJuniper Networks, Inc.
InventorSudheer Poorna Chandra Matta
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A technique for wireless load balancing involves providing a wireless infrastructure that creates a target band option and helps push clients toward that band. An example of a method according to the technique involves, by way of example but not limitation, responding only to probe requests on a first band when a client is detected on the first band and a second band. For example, using the techniques described herein, a platform that is both 802.11a and 802.11b/g compliant may attempt to connect preferentially to the 802.11b/g band of a wireless network, and be migrated toward the 802.11a band instead.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- receiving, by a network device and from a wireless device, a first request via a first wireless band and a second request via a second wireless band;
- detecting, by the network device, a first network condition associated with the first wireless band and a second network condition associated with the second wireless band based on the first request and the second request;
- selecting, by the network device and based on the first network condition and the second network condition, the first wireless band for connecting the wireless device to a wireless network;
- sending, by the network device, a signal, responsive to the first request, to the wireless device on the first wireless band;
- and
- determining not to send a signal, responsive to the second request, to the wireless device on the second wireless band,
- sending the signal on the first wireless band and determining not to send the signal on the second wireless band causing the wireless device to determine that the second wireless band is not available for connecting the wireless device to the wireless network.
A device comprising:
- one or more processors to:
- receive, from a wireless device, a first request to connect to a particular network, the first request being received via a first wireless band
- receive, from the wireless device, a second request to connect to the particular network, the second request being received via a second wireless band that is different from the first wireless band,
- detect network conditions associated with the first wireless band based on the first request,
- detect network conditions associated with the second wireless band based on the second request,
- select, based on the network conditions associated with the first wireless band and the network conditions associated with the second wireless band, the first wireless band for connecting the wireless device to the particular network,
- send, to the wireless device and on the first wireless band, a first signal to the wireless device based on selecting the first wireless band, and
- determine not to send a second signal on the second wireless band, not sending the second signal causing the wireless device to be unaware that the second wireless band is available for connecting to the particular network.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the computer-readable medium comprising:
- one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
- detect network conditions on a first wireless band,
- detect network conditions on a second wireless band, where the second wireless band is different from the first wireless band,
- select, based on the network conditions on the first wireless band and the network conditions on the second wireless band, the first wireless band as a target band,
- send a first signal to a wireless device on the target band and ignore communications transmitted by the wireless device on the second wireless band to cause the wireless device to connect to a wireless network via the target band;
- and
- connect, based on sending the first signal to the wireless device on the target band and ignoring communications transmitted by the wireless device on the second wireless band, the wireless device to the wireless network on the target band.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.