Architecture for signal and power distribution in wireless data network
An architecture is provided for coupling wireless local area network (WLAN) signals between an internetworking device and a remotely located access point using a transport network. The access point is coupled to the transport network for communicating with the internetworking device. The access point includes a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point and an access point remote converter. The WLAN access point receives wireless local area network signals from wireless computing equipment and converts such signals to local area network compatible signals. The access point remote converter receives the local area network compatible signals from the WLAN access point and converts the signals to transport modulated format signals suitable for transmission over the transport network. The transport network also provides a power signal to power at least some components of the access point.
1. A method of communicating wireless local area network (WLAN) signals with an internetworking device using a transport network, the method comprising:
receiving, at a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point, wireless local area network signals from wireless computing equipment and converting such signals to local area network compatible signals;
converting the local area network compatible signals to transport modulated format signals suitable for transmission over the transport network; and
powering a component of at least one device in a wireless local area network of which the WLAN access point is a part using power received from the transport network.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the transport modulated format signals to the internetworking device over the transport network.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving the local area network compatible signals from the wireless local area network access point at an access point remote converter, wherein the access point remote converter converts the local area network compatible signals to transport modulated format signals suitable for transmission over the transport network.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein powering the component of at least one device in the wireless local area network using power received from the transport network comprises receiving a power signal from the transport network at a power supply included in the access point remote converter.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transport network comprises twisted-pair cabling; and
wherein converting the local area network compatible signals to the transport modulated format signals suitable for transmission over the transport network comprises converting the local area network compatible signals to Digital Subscriber Line (xDSL) signals.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transport network comprises a coaxial cable network; and
wherein converting the local area network compatible signals to the transport modulated format signals suitable for transmission over the transport network comprises converting the local area network compatible signals to the transport modulated format signals using a cable modem.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transport network comprises an optical fiber network; and
wherein converting the local area network compatible signals to the transport modulated format signals suitable for transmission over the transport network comprises converting the local area network compatible signals to optical signals compatible with the optical fiber network.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving the transport modulated format signals from the transport network;
converting the transport modulated format signals to data network compatible signals; and
providing the data network compatible signals to the internetworking device.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the internetworking device is located remotely from the WLAN access point.
10. A method comprising:
receiving a wireless local area network signal from equipment within a coverage area of a wireless local area network;
producing a transport modulated format signal suitable for transmission over transport cabling, wherein the transport modulated format signal is derived from the wireless local area network compatible signal received within the coverage area;
transmitting the transport modulated format signal on the transport cabling;
receiving the transport modulated format signal from the transport cabling;
producing a third signal for transmission to a second network, wherein the third signal is derived from the transport modulated format signal; and
powering at least one component of at least one device in the wireless local area network using power received from the transport cabling.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the transport cabling comprises available transport cabling.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising communicating the third signal to the second network.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the third signal is communicated to the second network via one or more internetworking devices and wherein the third signal is compatible with at least one of the one or more internetwork devices.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second network comprises the Internet.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein producing the transport modulated format signal comprises:
producing a second local area network compatible signal based on the wireless local area network signal; and
producing the transport modulated format signal from the second local area network compatible signal.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first local area network compatible signal comprises an IEEE 802.3 network signal.
17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving a downstream transport modulated format signal from the transport cabling;
producing a downstream wireless local area network signal that is derived from the downstream transport modulated signal; and
radiating the downstream wireless local area network signal in the coverage area.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein producing the downstream wireless local area network signal comprises producing a downstream local area network compatible signal from the downstream transport modulated format signal and producing the downstream wireless local area network signal from the downstream local area network compatible signal.
19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the transport cabling comprises at least one of: a portion of a cable television plant and telephone twisted-pair cabling.
20. The method of claim 10 , wherein the equipment comprises at least one of: computing equipment, mobile equipment, and a personal digital assistant.
21. The method of claim 10 , wherein the wireless local area network signal comprises an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network signal.
22. The method of claim 10 , wherein the wireless local area network signal comprises a multi-user wireless local area network signal.
23. A system comprising:
an internetworking device operable to send and receive data in accordance with a first protocol;
a wireless local area network device operable to send and receive the data in accordance with the first protocol and to wirelessly send and receive wireless local area network data;
a first unit that is communicatively coupled to the internetworking device; and
a second unit that is communicatively coupled to the first unit via transport cabling;
wherein data is sent by the internetworking device in accordance with the first protocol and is communicated to the wireless local area networking device via the first unit and the second unit over the transport cabling using a second protocol compatible with the transport cabling; and
wherein a component associated with at least one of the wireless local area network device and the second unit is powered by power received from the transport cabling.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the transport cabling comprises available transport cabling.
25. The system of claim 23 , wherein data is sent by the wireless local area networking device in accordance with the first protocol and is communicated to the internetworking device, at least in part, by communicating said data from the second unit to the first unit over the transport cabling using the second protocol.
26. The system of claim 23 , wherein the first protocol comprises a local area network protocol.
27. The system of claim 23 , wherein the first protocol comprises an IEEE 802.3 protocol.
28. The system of claim 23 , wherein the second protocol comprises at least one of a cable modem protocol and a digital subscriber line protocol.
29. The system of claim 23 , wherein the internetworking device comprises at least one of a repeater, a hub, a bridge, a router, and a gateway.
30. A method comprising:
receiving first data sent from an internetworking device in accordance with a first wired protocol;
sending, over an available wired communication medium in accordance with a second wired protocol suitable for use on the available wired communication medium, at least a portion of the first data received from the internetworking device; and
receiving, from the available wired communication medium, the at least a portion of the first data sent over the available wired communication medium and providing at least a portion of the first data received from the available wired communication medium to a wireless local area network access point for radiating at least a portion thereof from the wireless local area network access point; and
powering at least a portion of the wireless local area network access point using power received from the available wired communication medium.
31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the at least a portion of the first data received from the available wired communication medium is provided to the wireless local area network access point in accordance with the first wired protocol.
32. The method of claim 30 , further comprising:
receiving second data at the wireless local area network access point in accordance with a wireless local area network protocol;
sending, from the wireless local area network access point in accordance with the first wired protocol, at least a portion of the second data received at the wireless local area network access point;
receiving at least a portion of the second data sent from the wireless local area network access point in accordance with the first wired protocol;
sending, over the available wired communication medium in accordance with the second wired protocol, at least a portion of the second data received from the wireless local area network access point; and
receiving, from the available wired communication medium, the at least a portion of the second data sent over the available wired communication medium and providing, to the internetworking device, at least a portion of the second data received from the available wired communication medium.
33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the at least a portion of the second data received from the available wired communication medium is provided to the internetworking device in accordance with first wired protocol.
34. A method comprising:
receiving first data at a wireless local area network access point in accordance with a wireless local area network protocol;
sending, from the wireless local area network access point in accordance with a first wired protocol, at least a portion of the first data received at the wireless local area network access point;
receiving at least a portion of the first data sent from the wireless local area network access point in accordance with the first wired protocol;
sending, over an available wired communication medium in accordance with a second wired protocol suitable for use on the available wired communication medium, at least a portion of the first data received from the wireless local area network access point;
receiving, from the available wired communication medium, the at least a portion of the first data sent over the available wired communication medium and providing, to an internetworking device, at least a portion of the first data received from the available wired communication medium; and
powering at least a portion of the wireless local area network access point using power received from the available wired communication medium.
35. The method of claim 34 , further comprising:
receiving second data sent from the internetworking device in accordance with the first wired protocol;
sending, over the available wired communication medium in accordance with the second wired protocol, at least a portion of the second data received from the internetworking device; and
receiving, from the available wired communication medium, the at least a portion of the second data sent over the available wired communication medium and providing at least a portion of the second data received from the available wired communication medium to the wireless local area network access point for radiating at least a portion thereof from the wireless local area network access point.