Wireless access device with wildcard SSID response enabling association by client device requesting any SSID and system and method thereof

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of access devices for enabling wireless access to a network by a plurality of client devices;

first ones of the access devices configured to transmit and receive signals having a first polarization; and

second ones of the access devices configured to transmit and receive signals having a second polarization different from the first polarization;

wherein the first and second access devices are deployed to mitigate friendly interference among the access devices, and to cause signal-to-noise ratios at the client devices that cause the client devices to migrate to nearest ones of the access devices;

the access devices are configured to implement one or more zone-of-operation techniques, thereby resulting in a wireless network with one or more zones of operation, each of the zones of operation corresponding to a different level of network access; and

one or more of the access devices are configured with a wild card response to facilitate association of a client device for any service set identifier requested in transmissions from the client device;

whereby the client device is caused to associate with a nearest one of the one or more access devices and gain access to the network with a level according to a zone of operation corresponding to the nearest one of the one or more access devices without a specific service set identifier requested by the client device being preprogrammed into the access devices before the specific service set identifier is requested by the client device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first polarization comprises a clockwise circular polarization and the second polarization comprises a counterclockwise circular polarization.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein a particular one of the access devices is configured to inhibit association of the client devices with the particular access device at data rates below a predetermined data rate, thereby creating a zone of operation outside of which the client devices are unlikely to associate with the particular access device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

each of the access devices is configured to transmit probes to the client devices and to receive responses from the client devices corresponding to the probes; and

a particular one of the access devices is configured to inhibit association of the client devices with the particular access device where receipt of the responses occurs more than a predetermined time period after transmission of the corresponding probes, thereby creating a zone of operation outside of which the client devices are unlikely to associate with the particular access device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the specific service set identifier requested by the client device is associated with an external access device which is not part of the system.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the access devices are located to cover different areas of a hospitality establishment, the different areas corresponding to the zones of operation having different levels of network access.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein:

the hospitality establishment is a hotel;

at least one of the access devices is installed to cover a public area of the hotel having a first network access level; and

at least one of the access devices is installed to cover a private area of the hotel having a second network access level different than the first network access level.

8. A method of providing a wildcard service set identifier response in a system comprising a plurality of access devices enabling wireless access to a network by a plurality of client devices; first ones of the access devices configured to transmit and receive signals having a first polarization; and second ones of the access devices configured to transmit and receive signals having a second polarization different from the first polarization; wherein the first and second access devices are deployed to mitigate friendly interference among the access devices, and to cause signal-to-noise ratios at the client devices that cause the client devices to migrate to nearest ones of the access devices; and the access devices are configured to implement one or more zone-of-operation techniques, thereby resulting in a wireless network with one or more zones of operation, each of the zones of operation corresponding to a different level of network access; the method comprising:

receiving at one or more of the access devices a probe from a client device requesting a specific service set identifier; and

responding to the client device by the one or more access devices in order to facilitate wireless association of the client device to a nearest one of the one or more access devices regardless of the specific service set identifier requested by the client device;

whereby the client device is caused to associate with the nearest one of the one or more access devices and gain access to the network with a level according to a zone of operation corresponding to the nearest one of the one or more access devices without a specific service set identifier requested by the client device being preprogrammed into the access devices before the specific service set identifier is requested by the client device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first polarization comprises a clockwise circular polarization and the second polarization comprises a counterclockwise circular polarization.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising inhibiting association of the client devices with a particular access device at data rates below a predetermined data rate, thereby creating a zone of operation outside of which the client devices are unlikely to associate with the particular access device.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

transmitting probes from the access devices to the client devices;

receiving responses from the client devices corresponding to the probes; and

inhibiting association of the client devices with a particular access device where receipt of the responses occurs more than a predetermined time period after transmission of the corresponding probes, thereby creating a zone of operation outside of which the client devices are unlikely to associate with the particular access device.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the specific service set identifier requested by the client device is associated with an external access device which is not part of the system.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising locating the access devices to cover different areas of a hospitality establishment, the different areas corresponding to the zones of operation having different levels of network access.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the hospitality establishment is a hotel and the method further comprises:

installing at least one of the access devices to cover a public area of the hotel having a first network access level; and

installing at least one of the access devices to cover a private area of the hotel having a second network access level different than the first network access level.

15. A wireless access device comprising:

an antenna;

a connection port providing wired communications with a network; and

processing hardware configured to:

receive a probe from a client device requesting a specific service set identifier; and

respond to the client device according to a wildcard service set identifier response in order to facilitate wireless association of the client device with the wireless access device regardless of the specific service set identifier requested by the client device;

whereby the client device is enabled to associate with the wireless access device and receive access to the network without a specific service set identifier requested by the client device being preprogrammed into the wireless access device before the specific service set identifier is requested by the client device.

16. The wireless access device of claim 15 , wherein the antenna is configured to transmit signals with one of a clockwise circular polarization and a counterclockwise circular polarization.

17. The wireless access device of claim 15 , wherein the processing hardware is further configured to inhibit association of the client device at data rates below a predetermined data rate.

18. The wireless access device of claim 15 , wherein the processing hardware is further configured to:

transmit probes to a plurality of client devices;

receive responses from the client devices corresponding to the probes; and

inhibit association of particular client devices where receipt of the responses occurs more than a predetermined time period after transmission of the corresponding probes.

19. The wireless access device of claim 15 , wherein the specific service set identifier requested by the client device is associated with an unrelated wireless access device within signal range of the client device.

20. The wireless access device of claim 15 , wherein the processing hardware is further configured to provide the client device with access to the network according to a specific access level, the specific access level corresponding to a location covered by the wireless access device.