Blocking IEEE 802.11 wireless access
View Patent ↗One or more 802.11 access points that are programmed or otherwise configured to transmit a preferably continuous waveform over a band of frequencies that interferes with other devices in the region, effectively blocking all (or at least most) 802.11 traffic on channels spanned by that band of frequencies.
1. A method of disrupting IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11-type wireless network traffic with dual-mode access point, the method comprising:
connecting the dual-mode access point to a wireless network;
operating the dual-mode access point in a first mode to transmit and receive IEEE 802.11 network traffic over the wireless network for connected stations using an IEEE 802.11 radio;
responsive to a programmatic switch, operating the dual-mode access point in a second mode to disrupt IEEE 802.11 network traffic over an entire IEEE bandwidth that comprises a set of channels, wherein disrupting traffic comprises alternating between a subset of the set channels to transmit a plurality of interference signals with the IEEE 802.11 radio, each interference signal sent over a channel and affecting neighboring channels, and wherein operating in the second mode further comprises alternating between the subset of channels with a frequency that overlaps at least a portion of each frame sequence and at least one data frame; and
responsive to a subsequent programmatic switch, returning the dual-mode access point to operate in the first mode.
2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the frame sequence comprises an auth-req frame and ack frame, an auth-resp frame and ack frame, an assoc-req frame and ack frame, and an assoc-resp frame and ack frame.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IEEE 802.11 network traffic occurs on a 2.4 GHz band comprising approximately 14 channels separated by approximately 5 MHz, and wherein the IEEE 802.11 radio transmits interference signals at approximately a 20 MHz bandwidth.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the IEEE 802.11 network traffic occurs on a 2.4 GHz band comprising approximately 14 channels separated by approximately 5 MHz, and wherein the IEEE 802.11 radio comprises an IEEE 802.11n radio that transmits interference signals at approximately a 40 MHz bandwidth.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein further comprising:
initially operating according to only the first mode; and
updating program code of the access point to allow operation in the second mode.
6. The method of claim 1 , operating in the second mode comprises:
responsive to the programmatic switch, operating in the second mode, wherein the programmatic switch is configured according to pre-determined times.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating in the second mode further comprises:
responsive to the programmatic switch, operating in the second mode, wherein disrupting traffic comprises transmitting on a channel between approximately 4 microseconds and returning to transmit on the channel within approximately 20 microseconds.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network traffic is substantially blocked over the 2.4 Ghz band by transmitting interference signals on only a subset of two channels.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein interference signals are transmitted to block traffic over multiple bands of frequency substantially in parallel.
10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program product to perform a method for disrupting IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11-type wireless network traffic with dual-mode access point, the method comprising:
connecting the dual-mode access point to a wireless network;
operating the dual-mode access point in a first mode to transmit and receive IEEE 802.11 network traffic over the wireless network for connected stations using an IEEE 802.11 radio;
responsive to a programmatic switch, operating the dual-mode access point in a second mode to disrupt IEEE 802.11 network traffic over an entire IEEE bandwidth that comprises a set of channels, wherein disrupting traffic comprises alternating between a subset of the set channels to transmit a plurality of interference signals with the IEEE 802.11 radio, each interference signal sent over a channel and affecting neighboring channels, and wherein operating in the second mode further comprises alternating between the subset of channels with a frequency that overlaps at least a portion of each frame sequence and at least one data frame; and
responsive to a subsequent programmatic switch, returning the dual-mode access point to operate in the first mode.
11. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the frame sequence comprises an auth-req frame and ack frame, an auth-resp frame and ack frame, an assoc-req frame and ack frame, and an assoc-resp frame and ack frame.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the IEEE 802.11 network traffic occurs on a 2.4 GHz band comprising approximately 14 channels separated by approximately 5 MHz, and wherein the IEEE 802.11 radio transmits interference signals at approximately a 20 MHz bandwidth.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the IEEE 802.11 network traffic occurs on a 2.4 GHz band comprising approximately 14 channels separated by approximately 5 MHz, and wherein the IEEE 802.11 radio comprises an IEEE 802.11n radio that transmits interference signals at approximately a 40 MHz bandwidth.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein further comprising:
initially operating according to only the first mode; and
updating program code of the access point to allow operation in the second mode.
15. The method of claim 10 , operating in the second mode comprises:
responsive to the programmatic switch, operating in the second mode, wherein the programmatic switch is configured according to pre-determined times.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein operating in the second mode further comprises:
responsive to the programmatic switch, operating in the second mode, wherein disrupting traffic comprises transmitting on a channel between approximately 4 microseconds and returning to transmit on the channel within approximately 20 microseconds.
17. An access point to disrupt (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11-type wireless network traffic with dual-mode access point, the access point comprising:
an IEEE 802.11 radio, comprising a processor, to connect to a wireless network and operate in a first mode to transmit and receive IEEE 802.11 network traffic over the wireless network for connected stations; and
a programmatic switch to change the IEEE.802.11 radio from the first mode to a second mode,
wherein responsive to the programmatic switch, the IEEE 802.11 radio changes to the second mode to disrupt IEEE 802.11 network traffic over an entire IEEE bandwidth that comprises a set of channels, wherein disrupting traffic comprises alternating between a subset of the set channels to transmit a plurality of interference signals with the IEEE 802.11 radio, each interference signal sent over a channel and affecting neighboring channels, wherein operating in the second mode further comprises alternating between the subset of channels with a frequency that overlaps at least a portion of each frame sequence and at least one data frame, and
wherein responsive to the programmatic switch, returning the IEEE 802.11 to operate in a first mode.
18. The method of claim 17 ,
wherein the frame sequence comprises an auth-req frame and ack frame, an auth-resp frame and ack frame, an assoc-req frame and ack frame, and an assoc-resp frame and ack frame.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the IEEE 802.11 network traffic occurs on a 2.4 GHz band comprising approximately 14 channels separated by approximately 5 MHz, and wherein the IEEE 802.11 radio transmits interference signals at approximately 20 MHz.