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US 8,339,991 B2Granted
Node self-configuration and operation in a wireless network
AssigneeMeraki, Inc.
InventorsSanjit Biswas, John Bicket
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device performs a self-configure process for operations in a managed network to allocate a network address for the device by determining if the device will operate as a gateway of the managed network, obtaining a network address for communication with external devices outside of the managed network in response to determining that the device will operate as a gateway, scanning for neighbor devices operating in the managed network and maintaining a database of neighbor devices located in the scanning, and selecting a managed network to join based on the database of neighbor devices in response to determining that the device will operate as a node.
Claims18
A method of operating a network traffic device for communication using a network communication protocol, the method comprising:
- allocating an internal Internet protocol (IP) address for the network traffic device, the network traffic device being one of a plurality of network traffic devices on local area networks (LANs) managed by a host server over a wide area network (WAN) representing the Internet, wherein each of the network traffic device operates as one of a gateway device and a wireless access point associated with one of the LANs, wherein the host server provides access to management tools for the network traffic devices, wherein at least some of the network traffic devices operate as network gateway devices that provide a gateway for their respective LANs to the WAN, wherein the host server maintains a persistent network connection with each of the network traffic devices to configure the respective network traffic devices and to receive reports from the respective network traffic devices, wherein the network traffic devices and the host server each have an internal IP address that is a private address for the persistent network connections over the WAN;
- determining that the network traffic device will operate as a gateway device of a LAN that provides an interface between the LAN and the WAN, in response to initialization of a wired communication interface of the network traffic device and receiving a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) response within a predetermined timeout period from a DHCP server in response to a DHCP request message transmitted by the network traffic device that requests assignment of a unique external IP address that is routable within the WAN, and otherwise determining that the network traffic device will operate as a wireless access point (AP) within the LAN;
- obtaining an external IP address from the DHCP response for the network traffic device for communication with external devices in the WAN in response to determining that the network traffic device will operate as a gateway device;
- scanning for neighbor network traffic devices operating in the LAN and maintaining a database of neighbor network traffic devices based on the scanning, wherein the neighbor network traffic devices are managed by the management server over the respective persistent network connections established using the respective internal IP addresses of the neighbor network traffic devices;
- selecting one of the neighbor network traffic devices to join the LAN based on the database of neighbor network traffic devices in response to determining that the network traffic device will operate as a wireless AP to provide access of the LAN to one or more client devices;
- establishing a persistent network connection between the network traffic device and the management server using the internal IP address;
- downloading configuration data from the management server to configure the network traffic device over the persistent network connection;
- reporting to the management server over the persistent network connection, wherein the plurality of network traffic devices and the management server form a managed network using their respective internal IP addresses, wherein allocating an internal IP network address comprises performing a hash function on a media access control (MAC) address of the network traffic device, wherein the hash function provides a hashed network address that is unique to the device and that is obtained identically each time the hash function is performed.
5 more elements
A network access device for communication using a network communication protocol, the network access device comprising:
- a network interface for communications using the network communication protocol;
- a processor coupled to the network interface to
- allocate an internal Internet protocol (IP) address, the network access device being one of a plurality of network access devices on local area networks (LANs) managed by a host server over a wide area network (WAN), wherein the host server provides access to management tools for the network access devices, wherein at least some of the network access devices operate as network gateway devices that provide a gateway for their respective LANs to the WAN representing the Internet, wherein each of the network traffic device operates as one of a gateway device and a wireless access point associated with one of the LANs, wherein the host server maintains a persistent network connection with each of the network access devices to configure the respective network access devices and to receive reports from the respective network access devices, wherein the network access devices and the host server each have an internal IP address that is a private address for the persistent network connections over the WAN,
- determine that the network access device will operate as a gateway of a LAN that provides an interface between the LAN and the WAN, in response to initialization of a wired communication interface of the network access device and receiving a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) response within a predetermined timeout period from a DHCP server in response to a DHCP request message transmitted by the network access device that requests assignment of a unique external IP address that is routable within the WAN, and otherwise determines that the network access device will operate as a wireless access point (AP) within the LAN,
- obtain an external IP address from the DHCP respone for the network access device for communication with external devices in the WAN in response to determining that the network access device will operate as a gateway device,
- scan for neighbor network access devices operating in the LAN and maintain a database of neighbor network access devices based on the scanning, wherein the neighbor network traffic devices are managed by the management server over the respective persistent network connections established using the respective internal IP addresses of the neighbor network traffic devices,
- select one of the neighbor network access devices to join based on the database of neighbor network access devices in response to determining that the network access device will operate as a wireless AP to provide access of the LAN to one or more client devices,
- establishing a persistent network connection between the network traffic device and the management server using the internal IP address,
- downloading configuration data from the management server to configure the network traffic device over the persistent network connection,
- reporting to the management server over the persistent network connection, wherein the plurality of network traffic devices and the management server form a managed network using their respective internal IP addresses, wherein the network access device allocates an internal IP network address by performing a hash function on a media access control (MAC) address value of the network traffic device, wherein the hash function provides a hashed network address that is unique to the device and that is obtained identically each time the hash function is performed.
7 more elements
A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method, the method comprising:
- allocating an internal Internet protocol (IP) address for the network traffic device, the network traffic device being one of a plurality of network traffic devices on local area networks (LANs) managed by a host server over a wide area network (WAN) representing the Internet, wherein each of the network traffic device operates as one of a gateway device and a wireless access point associated with one of the LANs, wherein the host server provides access to management tools for the network traffic devices, wherein at least some of the network traffic devices operate as network gateway devices that provide a gateway for their respective LANs to the WAN, wherein the host server maintains a persistent network connection with each of the network traffic devices to configure the respective network traffic devices and to receive reports from the respective network traffic devices, wherein the network traffic devices and the host server each have an internal IP address that is a private address for the persistent network connections over the WAN;
- determining that the network traffic device will operate as a gateway device of a LAN that provides an interface between the LAN and the WAN, in response to initialization of a wired communication interface of the network traffic device and receiving a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) response within a predetermined timeout period from a DHCP server in response to a DHCP request message transmitted by the network traffic device that requests assignment of a unique external IP address that is routable within the WAN, and otherwise determining that the network traffic device will operate as a wireless access point (AP) within the LAN;
- obtaining an external IP address from the DHCP response for the network traffic device for communication with external devices in the WAN in response to determining that the network traffic device will operate as a gateway device;
- scanning for neighbor network traffic devices operating in the LAN and maintaining a database of neighbor network traffic devices based on the scanning, wherein the neighbor network traffic devices are managed by the management server over the respective persistent network connections established using the respective internal IP addresses of the neighbor network traffic devices;
- selecting one of the neighbor network traffic devices to join the LAN based on the database of neighbor network traffic devices in response to determining that the network traffic device will operate as a wireless AP to provide access of the LAN to one or more client devices;
- establishing a persistent network connection between the network traffic device and the management server using the internal IP address;
- downloading configuration data from the management server to configure the network traffic device over the persistent network connection;
- reporting to the management server over the persistent network connection, wherein the plurality of network traffic devices and the management server form a managed network using their respective internal IP addresses, wherein allocating an internal IP network address comprises performing a hash function on a media access control (MAC) address of the network traffic device, wherein the hash function provides a hashed network address that is unique to the device and that is obtained identically each time the hash function is performed.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.