System and method for WiFi offload

A WiFi network component configured for handling WiFi offload in WiFi and cellular networks, the WiFi network component comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the at least one processor, the programming including instructions to:
• determine whether to send over a cellular air interface a packet designated for a WiFi network according to a predefined rule, wherein the predefined rule comprise at least one of:
• sending the packet over the cellular air interface only when the packet is a control or management packet, and sending the packet over the cellular air interface only when a destination address of the packet is a broadcast address;
• and
• upon determining to send the packet using the cellular air interface, send the packet to a cellular network component over the cellular air interface.

A method for handling WiFi offload in WiFi and cellular networks, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a cellular network component, a packet offloaded from a WiFi network component, wherein the packet is a control or management packet;
• adding a radio link control (RLC) header to the packet, wherein the header contains information indicating that the packet is designated for a WiFi network;
• and
• transmitting the packet with the header using a cellular air interface to a second cellular network component.

A cellular network component configured for handling WiFi offload in WiFi and cellular networks, the cellular network component comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the at least one processor, the programming including instructions to:
• receive a packet offloaded from a WiFi network component, wherein the packet is a control or management packet;
• adding a radio link control (RLC) header to the packet, wherein the header contains information indicating that the packet is designated for a WiFi network;
• and
• transmit the packet with the header using a cellular air interface to a second cellular network component.

A method for handling WiFi offload in WiFi and cellular networks, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a cellular network component, a packet with a radio link control (RLC) header from a second cellular network component over a cellular air interface, the packet offloaded from a WiFi network component to the second cellular network component, wherein the packet is a control or management packet, and the header contains information indicating that the packet is for a WiFi network;
• determining that the packet is designated for the WiFi network;
• removing the RLC header from the packet;
• and
• forwarding the packet to a second WiFi network component.

A cellular network component configured for handling WiFi offload in WiFi and cellular networks, the cellular network component comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the at least one processor, the programming including instructions to:
• receive a packet with a radio link control (RLC) header from a second cellular network component over a cellular air interface, the packet offloaded from a WiFi network component to the second cellular network component, wherein the packet is a control or management packet, and the header contains information indicating that the packet is for a WiFi network;
• determine that the packet is designated for the WiFi network;
• removing the RLC header from the packet;
• and
• forward the packet to a second WiFi network component.