Detection of wireless devices
View Patent ↗A method, system, apparatus, and computer-readable medium to determine whether a device having access to a network is wireless. A method for determining whether a device is wireless includes sending a specially-constructed packet to the device via a network. The packet is constructed so that the source address for the packet is a physical address on the network for the device. If the device does not send a response to the packet, a determination is made that the device is wireless. If the device sends a response to the packet, a determination is made that the device is wired. In one embodiment of the invention, the physical address for the device is a Media Access Control (MAC) address. The initial packet may, for example, request the physical address for the device and may be sent in response to detecting a communication to or from the suspect device.
1. A method comprising:
sending a packet to a device via a network, wherein
the packet comprises a source address, and
the source address is a physical address on the network for the device;
if the device does not send a response to the packet,
determining that the device is wireless.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the physical address is a MAC address.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the sending of the packet is performed in response to a determination that the device has been sent information via the network.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the sending of the packet is performed in response to a determination that the device has sent information via the network.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
if the device is wireless, querying at least one network device to identify a network connection to the device; and
using the network connection to locate a wireless access point associated with the network connection.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
disabling the wireless access point.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
if the device is wireless, limiting access to the network by the device.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
if the device is wireless, preventing access to the network by the device.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
formulating the packet such that the source address is the physical address on the network for the device and the packet includes a request message that asks the device to identify an address that corresponds to the device's IP address.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
if the device sends the response, determining that the device is wired.
11. A system comprising:
packet-sending means for sending a packet to a device via a network, wherein
the packet comprises a source address, and
the source address is a physical address on the network for the device;
response-determining means for determining whether the device sends a response to the packet; and
type-determining means for determining that the device is wireless if the device does not send the response.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein
the type-determining means determines that the device is wired if the device does send the response.
13. The system of claim 11 further comprising:
suspect-identifying means to identify the device as a suspect device if one of the following is true:
the device has been sent information via the network; and
the device has sent information via the network.
14. The system of claim 11 further comprising:
querying means for querying at least one network device to identify a network connection to the device if the device is wireless; and
using means for using the network connection to locate a wireless access point associated with the network connection.
15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:
disabling means for disabling the wireless access point.
16. The system of claim 11 further comprising:
formulating means for formulating the packet such that the source address is the physical address on the network for the device and the packet includes a request message that asks the device to identify an address that corresponds to the device's IP address.
17. A computer-readable medium comprising computer instructions for execution on a processor, wherein the instructions comprise:
packet-sending instructions configured to send a packet to a device via a network, wherein
the packet comprises a source address, and
the source address is a physical address on the network for the device;
response-determining instructions configured to determine whether the device sends a response to the packet; and
type-determining instructions configured to determine that the device is wireless if the device does not send the response.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein
the type-determining instructions are configured to determines that the device is wired if the device does send the response.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising:
suspect-identifying instructions configured to identify the device as a suspect device if one of the following is true:
the device has been sent information via the network; and
the device has sent information via the network.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising:
querying instructions configured to query at least one network device to identify a network connection to the device if the device is wireless; and
using instructions configured to use the network connection to locate a wireless access point associated with the network connection.
21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 further comprising:
disabling instructions configured to disable the wireless access point.
22. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising:
formulating instructions configured to formulate the packet such that the source address is the physical address on the network for the device and the packet includes a request message that asks the device to identify an address that corresponds to the device's IP address.
23. A computer system comprising:
a processor for executing instructions; and
the computer-readable medium of claim 17 .
24. A system comprising:
a packet-sending module configured to send a packet to a device via a network, wherein the packet comprises a source address, and
the source address is a physical address on the network for the device;
a response-determining module configured to determine whether the device sends a response to the packet; and
a type-determining module configured to determine that the device is wireless if the device does not send the response.
25. The system of claim 24 wherein
the type-determining module is configured to determine that the device is wired if the device does send the response.
26. The system of claim 24 further comprising:
a suspect-identifying module configured to identify the device as a suspect device if one of the following is true:
the device has been sent information via the network; and
the device has sent information via the network.
27. The system of claim 24 further comprising:
a querying module configured to query at least one network device to identify a network connection to the device if the device is wireless; and
a using module configured to use the network connection to locate a wireless access point associated with the network connection.
28. The system of claim 27 further comprising:
a disabling module configured to disable the wireless access point.
29. The system of claim 24 further comprising:
a formulating module configured to formulate the packet such that the source address is the physical address on the network for the device and the packet includes a request message that asks the device to identify an address that corresponds to the device's IP address.