Plug-In-Playable Wireless Communication System
A method and apparatus for communicating between devices is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises: detecting, at a switch, a notification signal from the previously undetected repeater, configuring the previously undetected repeater to operate with the switch; and receiving, at the switch, a periodic communication signal from the previously undetected repeater that establishes a communication connection between the previously undetected repeater and the switch to form a new wireless coverage cell.
1 . A method for automatically establishing a new wireless coverage cell using a previously undetected repeater, comprising:
(a) detecting, at a switch, a notification signal from the previously undetected repeater;
(b) configuring the previously undetected repeater to operate with the switch; and
(c) receiving, at the switch, a periodic communication signal from the previously undetected repeater that establishes a communication connection between the previously undetected repeater and the switch to form the new wireless coverage cell.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(d) receiving, by the switch, a physical connection from the previously undetected repeater; and
(e) providing power through the physical connection from a switch port of the switch to power up the previously undetected repeater.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein step (e) comprises:
(e)(i) providing the power through an Ethernet connection via a power-over-Ethernet (PoE) port to power up the previously undetected repeater.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises:
(b)(i) transmitting software from the switch to the previously undetected repeater;
(b)(ii) causing the previously undetected repeater to execute the software to configure the previously undetected repeater to operate with the switch.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein step (b)(ii) comprises:
(b)(ii)(A) causing the previously undetected repeater to execute the software to configure the previously undetected repeater to operate using a tunneling protocol.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises:
(c)(i) receiving, at the switch, a heart beat signal to maintain the communication connection between the previously undetected repeater and the switch.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(d) configuring, by the switch, the previously undetected repeater to communicate with one or more mobile stations in response to receiving the periodic communication signal.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein step (d) comprises:
(d)(i) configuring, by the switch, the previously undetected repeater to wirelessly communicate with the one or more mobile stations in response to receiving the periodic communication signal.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein step (d) comprises:
(d)(i) configuring, by the switch, the previously undetected repeater to communicate with the one or more mobile stations in response to receiving the periodic communication signal without using information resulting from a site survey of the location.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein step (d) comprises:
(d)(i) associating, by the switch, at least one of the one or more mobile stations with the previously undetected repeater without knowledge of a user of the at least one of the one or more mobile stations.
11 . A method for automatically establishing a new wireless coverage cell using a previously undetected repeater, comprising:
(a) sending, at the previously undetected repeater, a notification signal to a switch;
(b) configuring the previously undetected repeater to operate with the switch; and
(c) transmitting a periodic communication signal from the previously undetected repeater to the switch that establishes a communication connection between the previously undetected repeater and the switch to form the new wireless coverage cell.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
(d) establishing a physical connection between in the previously undetected repeater and a switch port of the switch; and
(e) drawing power from the switch port to power the previously undetected repeater.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein step (e) comprises:
(e)(i) drawing the power from the switch port via an Ethernet connection using power-over-Ethernet (PoE).
14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
(d) loading a boot image embedded within the previously undetected repeater; and
(e) executing the boot image to initialize the previously undetected repeater.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein step (b) comprises:
(b)(i) receiving software from the switch at the previously undetected repeater;
(b)(ii) executing the software to configure the previously undetected repeater to operate with the switch.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein step (b)(ii) comprises:
(b)(ii)(A) executing the software from the switch to configure the previously undetected repeater to operate using a tunneling protocol.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein step (c) comprises:
(c)(i) transmitting a heart beat signal from the previously undetected repeater to maintain the communication connection between the previously undetected repeater and the switch.
18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
(d) receiving, at the previously undetected repeater, configuration instructions to communicate with one or more mobile stations after sending the periodic communication signal.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein step (d) comprises:
(d)(i) receiving, at the previously undetected repeater, configuration instructions to wirelessly communicate with the one or more mobile stations after sending the periodic communication signal.
20 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
(e) communicating with at least one of the one or more mobile stations without using information resulting from a site survey of the location.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein step (e) comprises:
(e)(i) associating with the at least one of the one or more mobile station without knowledge of a user of the at least one of the one or more mobile station.