# US 9,882,774 B2 · Systems and methods for intuitive home networking > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,882,774 B2 - Document ID: US9882774B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/008,251 - Filed: 2016-01-27 - Published: 2016-08-04 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-02 - Assignees: eero inc. - Applicants: eero,Inc. - Inventors: Timothy A. Schallich; Nicholas S. Weaver; Nathaniel C. Hardison - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882774B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play - H04L 12/2898: {Subscriber equipments (DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801)} - H04L 12/6418: {Hybrid transport} - H04L 41/08: Configuration management of networks or network elements (address allocation H04L61/50) - H04L 41/24: {using dedicated network management hardware} - H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)} - H04L 65/1069: Session establishment or de-establishment - H04L 12/2803: {Home automation networks} - H04L 12/2807: {Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50)} - H04L 67/55: Push-based network services - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method for router configuration includes at a remote router management platform, registering a first router, associated with a first router identifier, to a user account; at the first router, establishing an internet connection; at a first user electronic device, transmitting a first router configuration to the remote router management platform; and at the first router, receiving the first router configuration from the remote router management platform via the internet connection. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for router configuration comprising: at a remote router management platform, registering a first router, associated with a first router identifier, to a user account; at the first router, transmitting a request to connect to a hidden restricted open network broadcast by a second router, wherein the second router does not broadcast a service set identifier of the hidden restricted open network, the request comprising a MAC address of the first router; at the second router, receiving the request; determining an organizationally unique identifier (OUI) of the first router based on the MAC address; at the second router, verifying that the OUI of the first router is an allowed OUI; establishing an internet connection to the first router via the second router, wherein: establishing the internet connection comprises, in response to receiving the request and verifying that the OUI of the first router is an allowed OUI, establishing a connection between the first and second routers via the hidden restricted open network; and the hidden restricted open wireless network allows internet communication only with the remote router management platform; at a first user electronic device, transmitting a first router configuration associated with the user account to the remote router management platform; at the remote router management platform, determining, based on the user account, that the first router configuration is associated with the first router identifier; at the remote management platform, in response to determining that the first router configuration is associated with the first router identifier, transmitting the first router configuration to the first router via the internet connection; at the first router, receiving the first router configuration from the remote router management platform via the internet connection; and at a second user electronic device, connecting to a wireless network broadcast by the first router. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising at the first user electronic device, transmitting initial configuration data to the first router over a direct wireless connection. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting initial configuration data at the first user electronic device comprises identifying the first router using the first router identifier and connecting to the first router automatically. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the direct wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the internet connection comprises connecting to the first user electronic device over a direct wireless connection and establishing the internet connection over a cellular internet connection of the first user electronic device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the internet connection comprises connecting to the internet via an Ethernet port of a set of Ethernet ports of the first router. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein connecting to the internet via the Ethernet port of the set of Ethernet ports comprises identifying the Ethernet port as a WAN port by transmitting an ICMP Address Mask Request on the Ethernet port and receiving a response to the ICMP Address Mask Request on the Ethernet port; wherein each Ethernet port of the set of Ethernet ports is not pre-designated as either a WAN port or a LAN port. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first router configuration comprises at the first router, polling the remote router management platform for configuration updates and downloading the first router configuration in response to an identified configuration update. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first router configuration comprises at the first router, receiving the first router configuration as part of a push update from the remote router management platform. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising at the first router, transmitting a heartbeat signal containing the router identifier to the remote router management platform. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the remote router management platform directs the push update to the first router using a source address of the heartbeat signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising at a third router, connecting to a wireless network broadcast by the first router; and receiving a second router configuration from the first router. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first router comprises a first Ethernet port, the second router comprises a second Ethernet port, and the second router is connected to the internet via the second Ethernet port. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the remote router management platform: receiving a configuration request from the first router via the internet connection; and in response to receiving the configuration request, verifying that the first router is associated with the user account before transmitting the first router configuration to the first router. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the first router to broadcast the wireless network based on the first router configuration. ### Claim 16 A method for router configuration comprising: at a remote router management platform, registering a first router, associated with a first router identifier, and a second router, associated with a second router identifier, to a user account; at the first router, establishing an internet connection; at the second router, transmitting a request to connect to a hidden restricted open wireless network broadcast by the first router, the request comprising a MAC address of the second router, wherein the hidden restricted open wireless network does not broadcast a service set identifier; at the first router, receiving the request; determining an organizationally unique identifier (OUI) of the second router based on the MAC address; at the first router, verifying that the OUI of the second router is an allowed OUI; and at the first router, in response to receiving the request and verifying that the OUI of the second router is an allowed OUI, allowing the second router to connect to the hidden restricted open wireless network; after the first router allows the second router to connect to the hidden restricted open wireless network, at the second router, connecting to the hidden restricted open wireless network; at a first user electronic device, transmitting a first router configuration and a second router configuration to the remote router management platform; wherein the first router configuration is associated with the first router identifier and the user account at the remote router management platform; wherein the second router configuration is associated with the second router identifier and the user account at the remote router management platform; at the first router, receiving the first router configuration from the remote router management platform via the internet connection; at the second router, receiving the second router configuration from the remote router management platform via the hidden restricted open wireless network; and at a second user electronic device, connecting to a wireless network broadcast by the first router. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: verifying that a prefix of a MAC address of the second router is an allowed MAC address prefix; and at the second router, connecting to the hidden restricted open wireless network broadcast by the first router after the prefix has been verified. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the second router configuration configures the second router to serve as a wireless repeater for the first router. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the hidden restricted open wireless network allows internet communication only with the remote router management platform.