Practical easyconnect onboarding of extenders

1 . A client device for use with a user, a network extender device and a gateway device, the network extender device having extender identification data associated therewith, the gateway device being configured to establish and maintain a wireless network and having backhaul credentials associated therewith and being additionally configured to provide the backhaul credentials, the gateway device having a country code therein and being configured to provide the country code, the network extender device being configured to transmit data at a first transmission power and to transmit data at a second transmission power based on the country code, the second transmission power being greater than the first transmission power, the client device comprising:

a memory;

a graphic user interface configured to provide an instruction to the user to place the client device within a predetermined distance from the network extender device; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored on the memory to cause the client device to:

obtain the backhaul credentials from a network controller on the gateway device of the wireless network via a secure connection;

obtain the extender identification data from the network extender device that uniquely identifies the network extender device;

instruct the graphic user interface to provide the instruction to the user to place the client device within a predetermined distance from the network extender device;

communicate with the network extender device based on the extender identification data;

provide the backhaul credentials to the network extender device to enable the network extender device to join the wireless network;

obtain the country code from the gateway device; and

provide the country code to the network extender device in a DPP Configuration Response message thereby causing the network extender device to transmit data at the second transmission power,

wherein the country code is a string parameter within a DPP Configuration Object in the DPP Configuration Response message.

2 . The client device of claim 1 , wherein the extender identification data comprises a QR code from the network extender device, and the client device further comprises:

a camera configured to scan an image of the QR code,

wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions stored on the memory to cause the client device to further obtain the extender identification data from the network extender device by instructing the camera to scan the image of the QR code.

3 . The client device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions stored on the memory to cause the client device to further communicate with the gateway device to verify that the network extender device has joined the wireless network.

4 . The client device of claim 3 ,

wherein the graphic user interface is additionally configured to provide an instruction to the user to perform a second protocol to join the network extender device with the wireless network, and

wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions stored on the memory to cause the client device to:

start a timer to count down for a predetermined time after providing the backhaul credentials to the network extender device to enable the network extender device to join the wireless network; and

instruct the graphic user interface to provide the instruction to the user to perform the second protocol to join the network extender device with the wireless network if the network extender device has not been verified to have joined the wireless network after expiration of the timer.

5 . The client device of claim 1 , wherein the string parameter is a service string parameter.

6 . A method of operating a client device with a user, a network extender device and a gateway device, the network extender device having extender identification data associated therewith, the gateway device being configured to establish and maintain a wireless network and having backhaul credentials associated therewith and being additionally configured to provide the backhaul credentials, the gateway device having a country code therein and being configured to provide the country code, the network extender device being configured to transmit data at a first transmission power and to transmit data at a second transmission power based on the country code, the second transmission power being greater than the first transmission power, the method comprising:

obtaining, via a processor configured to execute instructions stored on a memory, the backhaul credentials from a network controller on the gateway device of the wireless network via a secure connection;

obtaining, via the processor, the extender identification data from the network extender device that uniquely identifies the network extender device;

instructing, via the processor, a graphic user interface to provide an instruction to the user to place the client device within a predetermined distance from the network extender device;

communicating, via the processor, with the network extender device based on the extender identification data;

providing, via the processor, the backhaul credentials to the network extender device to enable the network extender device to join the wireless network;

obtaining, via the processor, the country code from the gateway device; and

providing, via the processor, the country code to the network extender device in a DPP Configuration Response message thereby causing the network extender device to transmit data at the second transmission power,

wherein the country code is a string parameter within a DPP Configuration Object in the DPP Configuration Response message.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the extender identification data comprises a QR code from the network extender device, the method further comprising:

obtaining, via a camera, the extender identification data from the network extender device by scanning an image of the QR code.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising communicating, via the processor, with the gateway device to verify that the network extender device has joined the wireless network.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

starting, via the processor, a timer to count down for a predetermined time after providing the backhaul credentials to the network extender device to enable the network extender device to join the wireless network; and

instructing, via the processor, the graphic user interface to provide an instruction to the user to perform a second protocol to join the network extender device with the wireless network if the network extender device has not been verified to have joined the wireless network after expiration of the timer.

10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the string parameter is a service string parameter.

11 . A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions being capable of being read by a client device for use with a user, a network extender device and a gateway device, the network extender device having extender identification data associated therewith, the gateway device being configured to establish and maintain a wireless network and having backhaul credentials associated therewith and being additionally configured to provide the backhaul credentials, the gateway device having a country code therein and being configured to provide the country code, the network extender device being configured to transmit data at a first transmission power and to transmit data at a second transmission power based on the country code, the second transmission power being greater than the first transmission power, wherein the computer-readable instructions are capable of instructing the client device to perform a method comprising:

obtaining, via a processor configured to execute instructions stored on a memory, the backhaul credentials from a network controller on the gateway device of the wireless network via a secure connection;

obtaining, via the processor, the extender identification data from the network extender device that uniquely identifies the network extender device;

instructing, via the processor, a graphic user interface to provide an instruction to the user to place the client device within a predetermined distance from the network extender device;

communicating, via the processor, with the network extender device based on the extender identification data;

providing, via the processor, the backhaul credentials to the network extender device to enable the network extender device to join the wireless network;

obtaining, via the processor, the country code from the gateway device; and

providing, via the processor, the country code to the network extender device in a DPP Configuration Response message thereby causing the network extender device to transmit data at the second transmission power,

wherein the country code is a string parameter within a DPP Configuration Object in the DPP Configuration Response message.

12 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 11 ,

wherein the extender identification data comprises a QR code from the network extender device, and

wherein the method further comprises obtaining, via a camera, the extender identification data from the network extender device by scanning an image of the QR code.

13 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises communicating, via the processor, with the gateway device to verify that the network extender device has joined the wireless network.

14 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:

starting, via the processor, a timer to count down for a predetermined time after providing the backhaul credentials to the network extender device to enable the network extender device to join the wireless network; and

instructing, via the processor, the graphic user interface to provide an instruction to the user to perform a second protocol to join the network extender device with the wireless network if the network extender device has not been verified to have joined the wireless network after expiration of the timer.

15 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the string parameter is a service string parameter.