MAC based mapping in IP based communications
An access point of a communications network receives a multicast or broadcast packet from a source. The access point converts the multicast or broadcast packet into a unicast packet addressed to a station associated with the access point. The access point then transmits the unicast packet over the communications network from the access point to the station. The access point further may determine a minimum data rate by which the access point may transmit the multicast or broadcast packet to the station and determines an effective unicast rate for transmitting the unicast packet to the station. If the effective unicast rate does not exceed the minimum data rate, the access point does not transmit the unicast packet to the station and transmits the multicast or broadcast packet.
1. An apparatus for Internet-Protocol based communications in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:
a first network interface to receive a series of multicast data packets from an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) server, the series of multicast data packets corresponding to a video stream addressed to a group of one or more receiving nodes in a wireless network;
a processor and memory to convert the received series of multicast data packets into one or more unicast packets, wherein the series of multicast data packets is converted into one or more unicast data packets addressed to the one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network, and wherein the multicast data packets are converted in accordance with a map of media access control (MAC) addresses corresponding to the one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network; and
a second network interface to wirelessly transmit the one or more unicast data packets to the one or more receiving nodes using an 802.x protocol, wherein the effective unicast rate for the one or more unicast data packets exceeds a minimum data rate of the series of multicast data packets using the 802.x protocol.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first network interface is for a wired network.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more receiving nodes includes a television set-top box configured to receive the video stream from the IPTV server.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more receiving nodes includes an Internet-enabled television.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an antenna configuration of the second network interface wirelessly transmits the one or more unicast data packets to the one or more receiving nodes using the 802.x protocol.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a physical data rate is determined to wirelessly transmit the one or more unicast packets to the one or more receiving nodes using the 802.x protocol.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the physical data rate is determined in response to a list of allowable physical data rates provided by the one or more receiving nodes.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second network interface receives one or more multicast control protocol packets from the one or more receiving nodes, and the memory and processor utilize the one or more multicast control protocol packets to associate the one or more receiving nodes with a group receiving the video stream from the IPTV server.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second network interface receives one or more multicast control protocol packets from the one or more receiving nodes, and the memory and processor utilize the one or more multicast control protocol packets to change a channel of the video stream from the IPTV server for the one or more receiving nodes transmitting the one or more multicast control protocols.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the map of MAC addresses corresponding to the one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network is generated in response to sampling of join requests received from the one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network at the second network interface and transmitted to the IPTV server at the first network interface.
11. A non-transitory computer readable-storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program executable by a processor to provide a method for Internet-Protocol based communications in a wireless network, the method comprising:
receiving a series of multicast data packets from an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) server, the series of multicast data packets corresponding to a video stream addressed to a group of one or more receiving nodes in a wireless network;
converting the received series of multicast data packets into one or more unicast packets, wherein the series of multicast data packets is converted into one or more unicast data packets addressed to the one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network, and wherein the multicast data packets are converted in accordance with a map of media access control (MAC) addresses corresponding to the one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network; and
transmitting the one or more unicast data packets to the one or more receiving nodes using an 802.x protocol, wherein the effective unicast rate for the one or more unicast data packets exceeds a minimum data rate of the series of multicast data packets using the 802.x protocol.
12. A method for Internet-Protocol based communications in a wireless network, the method comprising:
receiving a series of multicast data packets from an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) server at a first network interface, the series of multicast data packets corresponding to a video stream addressed to a group of one or more receiving nodes in a wireless network;
converting the received series of multicast data packets into one or more unicast packets through use of a processor and memory, wherein the series of multicast data packets is converted into one or more unicast data packets addressed to the one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network, and wherein the multicast data packets are converted in accordance with a map of media access control (MAC) addresses corresponding to the one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network; and
wirelessly transmitting the one or more unicast data packets to the one or more receiving nodes using an 802.x protocol at a second network interface, wherein the effective unicast rate for the one or more unicast data packets exceeds a minimum data rate of the series of multicast data packets using the 802.x protocol.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first network interface is for a wired network.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more receiving nodes includes a television set-top box configured to receive the video stream from the IPTV server.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more receiving nodes includes an Internet-enabled television.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the wireless transmission of the one or more unicast data packets to the one or more receiving nodes using the 802.x protocol is done via an antenna configuration of the second network interface.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a physical data rate for wirelessly transmitting the one or more unicast packets to the one or more receiving nodes using the 802.x protocol.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the physical data rate occurs in response to a list of allowable physical data rates provided by the one or more receiving nodes.
19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving at the second network interface one or more multicast control protocol packets from the one or more receiving nodes, and
utilizing the one or more multicast control protocol packets to associate the one or more receiving nodes with a group receiving the video stream from the IPTV server.
20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving at the second network interface one or more multicast control protocol packets from the one or more receiving nodes, and
utilizing the one or more multicast control protocol packets to change a channel of the video stream from the IPTV server for the one or more receiving nodes transmitting the one or more multicast control protocols.
21. The method of claim 12 , further comprising generating the map of MAC addresses corresponding to the one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network in response to sampling of join requests received from the one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network at the second network interface and transmitted to the IPTV server at the first network interface.