Wireless Perimeter Security Device and Network Using Same
A Radio Frequency based security system for providing security for wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) that allows the creation and maintenance of arbitrarily shaped secure wireless access areas with boundaries around said wireless Local Area Network and prevents access to the said wireless LAN from outside the perimeter of the secure area. The system includes a plurality of perimeter Radio Frequency Sentry Devices (RFSDs) that are employed to establish the boundaries of said secure area around said wireless LAN. The wireless LAN being secured may be an industry standard IEEE 802.11a, 801.11b or 802.11g based wireless LAN or any other wireless LAN that uses packet based communication protocols. The said RFSDs may be stand-alone devices or they may be connected to a wired or wireless Local Area Network.
1 . A security-enhanced wireless communications system comprising one or more primary wireless devices forming part of wireless local area network (WLAN), capable of communication at least in part by wireless packets, and two or more communications security devices (CSDs), each of which CSD is capable of blocking external networks from the WLAN by creating an invisible wall to primary devices of the WLAN and comprises antenna, wherein said primary devices and each of said CSDs are within or at a predetermined proximity defined by a network operations area (NOA).
2 . The system of claim 1 which includes a Central Controller (CC) unit in communication with each of said two or more CSDs, having: a control authority containing knowledge of said primary and secondary devices; a central registry, where each of said two or more CSDs can respectively register themselves with the CC; and a switchable communications means for enabling communicating between each of said two or more CSDs and said CC.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein communication between said CC and each of said two or more CSDs is bidirectional.
4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the NOA is determined as a Secured Space as being one of a physical dimension of an area having said primary and secondary devices resident therein or a locale.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein said NOA is an area equivalent to one or more floors of a building housing said LAN.
6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein each of said two or more CSDs are positioned at a predetermined proximity to one another and in relation to said physical dimensions of said NOA.
7 . The system of claim 4 wherein said communication is bidirectional, and said WLAN has one or more access points (APs).
8 . The system of claim 1 includes an associated Central Commander unit in wired or wireless communication with each of said CSDs and at least one access point (APs) within a locale, wherein each of said CSDs is a radio frequency security device (RFSD).
9 . The system of claim 8 which said Central Commander is a Central Controller (CC) unit in communication with said two or more RFSDs, having: a control authority containing knowledge of said primary and secondary devices; a central registry, where said RFSDs can respectively register themselves with the CC; and a switchable communications means for enabling communicating between said RFSDs and said CC.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein communication between said CC and said two or more RFSDs is bidirectional, said locale is determined as being a physical perimeter dimension of a predetermined location having said RFSDs proximate thereto and positioned in relation to one another.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein said APs are communicably configured along a LAN backbone.
12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein said RFSDs comprise a transmission means for transmitting data across the WLAN and LAN, a receiver means for receiving data across the WLAN and LAN, a controller means for controller the RFSDs, respectively, across the WLAN and LAN, a power means for powering said RFSDs singly or collectively, and a directionally steerable communication means for enabling effective communications of RFSDs across the WLAN and LAN.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein said transmission means is a transmitter, said receiver means is a receiver, said controller means is a controller, said power means is a powered source device, or said directionally steerable communication means is an antenna.
14 . The system of claim 14 , wherein said powered source device is a battery or electrical current source.
15 . The system of claim 14 wherein each of said RFSDs can operate as a blocking device to receipt of wireless packet transmissions from external networks.
16 . A method of blocking wireless packets from an external wireless network a security-enhanced wireless communications system comprising one or more primary wireless devices forming part of wireless local area network (WLAN), capable of communication at least in part by wireless packets, and two or more communications security devices (CSDs), wherein said primary devices and each of said CSDs are within or at a predetermined proximity defined by a network operations area (NOA), said method comprising steps of: identifying one or more external wireless networks to the WLAN; identifying said external wireless networks with respect to location of proximity perimeter of WLAN; identifying signal strength of said one or more identified external wireless networks; and arranging said two or more CSDs to cause wireless traffic of said one or more external wireless networks to be undetectable by primary wireless devices of WLAN.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein said system further comprises a Central Controller (CC) unit in communication with each of said two or more CSDs, having: a control authority containing knowledge of said primary and secondary devices; a central registry, where each of said two or more CSDs can respectively register themselves with the CC; and a switchable communications means for enabling communicating between each of said two or more CSDs and said CC.
18 . The system of claim 18 which includes a Central Controller (CC) unit in communication with said one or more plurality of CSDs, having: a control authority containing knowledge of said primary and secondary devices; a central registry, where said plurality of CSDs can respectively register themselves with the CC; and a switchable communications means for enabling communicating between each CSD and said CC.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein communication between said CC and each of said two or more CSDs is bidirectional.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the NOA is determined as a Secured Space as being one of a physical dimension of an area having said primary and secondary devices resident therein or a locale, and each of said two or more CSDs are positioned at a predetermined proximity to one another and in relation to said physical dimensions of said NOA and each CSD is a Radio Frequency Security Device (RFSD).
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein said RFSDs comprise a transmission means for transmitting data across the WLAN and LAN, a receiver means for receiving data across the WLAN and LAN, a controller means for controller the RFSDs, respectively, across the WLAN and LAN, a power means for powering said RFSDs singly or collectively, and a directionally steerable communication means for enabling effective communications of RFSDs across the WLAN and LAN.
22 . The method of claim 21 wherein each RFSD comprises: an antenna system which has a capability to determine signal strength comparisons at high speeds; a capability to determine Time of Difference of Arrival (TDOA) comparisons at high speeds; and a capability to determine phase difference measurements at high speeds.
23 . The method of claim 22 wherein each antenna system comprises: a plurality of directional antennas facing in the same direction.
24 . The method of claim 23 wherein said antennas are of the types but not limited to Parabolic, Yagi, Patch, Quad, Bi-Quad, Dish, Collinear, Vertical, Dipole and Phased Arrays.
25 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising step of: creating a Radio Frequency Map of the locale of the Secured Space and any of said external wireless networks, using at least one of said two or more RFSDs to transmit a first signal to another of said two or more RFSDs whereby others of said two or more RFSDs receive transmission of said first signal to determine radio frequency characteristics of said Secured Space and any of said external wireless networks.
26 . The method of claim 25 wherein at least one of said RFSDs includes a Radio Frequency Detection Unit (RDF).
27 . The method of claim 26 further comprising steps of identifying a packet from an external wireless network approaching said perimeter
28 . The method of claim 27 further comprising steps of one or more RFSDs preparing to transit an altered wireless packet in response to said identified packet from an external wireless network approaching said perimeter; and transmitting said altered wireless packet as said identified packet traverses said perimeter, to cause wireless traffic of said one or more external wireless networks to be undetectable by primary wireless devices of WLAN.
29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein said transmitted altered wireless packet is transmitted towards said WLAN.
30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein said perimeter is equivalent to an area of one or more floors of a building or locale.
31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein said WLAN is one of a x.25 or IEEE 802.11 protocol network.
32 . The method of claim 30 , wherein at least one of said two or more RFSDs has a directional antenna.
33 . A security-enhanced wireless communications system comprising two or more primary wireless devices forming a wireless local area network (WLAN), operatively communicating using wireless packets in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 protocol, having four or more Radio Frequency Security Devices (RFSDs), each of which is positioned along an edge of a perimeter of a Secured Space and each of which is capable of blocking external network packet traffic from the WLAN by creating an invisible wall to said primary devices of the WLAN, said system operatively capable of said external network packet traffic by: creating a Radio Frequency Map of the WLAN and external network environment; identifying one or more external wireless networks to the WLAN; identifying said external wireless networks with respect to location of proximity perimeter of WLAN; identifying signal strength of said one or more identified external wireless networks; identifying packet characteristics of a packet from said external network; adjusting one or more of said RFSDs to respond and transmit at least one altered packet having similar characteristics of said packet from external network; transmitting said altered packet towards said WLAN as said packet from external network traverses an edge of said Secured Space, to cause wireless traffic of said one or more external wireless networks to be undetectable by primary wireless devices of WLAN.
34 . The system of claim 33 , wherein said WLAN is also in communication with a local area network (LAN) backbone having one or more access points (APs) and wherein each of said RFSDs comprise a transmission means for transmitting data across the WLAN and LAN, a receiver means for receiving data across the WLAN and LAN, a controller means for controller the RFSDs, respectively, across the WLAN and LAN, a power means for powering said RFSDs singly or collectively, and a directionally steerable communication means for enabling effective communications of RFSDs across the WLAN and LAN.