System and method for cloning a wi-fi access point

1. A system for cloning a Wi-Fi access point, the system comprising:

a network monitoring module comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured with software executable instructions to cause the network monitoring module to perform operations comprising:

determining to transition communications from a first access point (AP) to a second AP, wherein the first AP comprises an SSID and security configuration information and wherein the determining operation comprises:

obtaining status information of other APs, including the second AP;

applying selection rules to the status information of other APs; and

selecting the second AP based on the application of the selection rules to the status information of the other APs;

acquiring the SSID and the security configuration information of the first access point;

sending the SSID and the security configuration information to the second AP;

directing the second AP to instantiate the SSID and the security configuration information;

receiving a confirmation that the second AP has instantiated the SSID and the security configuration information; and

directing the first AP to cease using the SSID and the security configuration information in response to receipt of the confirmation, and

wherein communications with the first AP cease and communications are established by the second AP using the SSID and the security configuration information of the first AP.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a home gateway and wherein the first AP is connected to the home gateway via a first tunnel.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured with software executable instructions to cause the network monitoring module to perform operations comprising:

directing the second AP to connect to the home gateway via a second tunnel; and

directing the first AP to tear down the first tunnel in response to receipt of the confirmation.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a datastore and a home gateway, wherein the datastore is accessible to the first and second APs and the home gateway via a network and wherein the network monitoring module is a component of the datastore.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a home gateway, wherein the home gateway is accessible to the first and second APs via a network, and wherein the network monitoring module is a component of the home gateway.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a datastore and a home gateway, wherein the datastore is accessible to the first and second APs and the home gateway via a network and wherein the instruction for acquiring the SSID and the security configuration information of the first access point comprises acquiring the SSID and the security configuration information of the first access point from the datastore.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second APs are in communication with a Wi-Fi device selected from the group consisting of a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a PDA, a VoIP phone and a dual network Wi-Fi phone.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first and second access points communicate with the Wi-Fi device via a communication protocol selected from the group consisting of IEEE 802.11(a), 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the selection rules are selected from the group consisting of a proximity of the second AP to a Wi-Fi device, a signal characteristic of the second AP, a channel availability of the second AP, and a movement and relative location of a Wi-Fi device.

10. A system for cloning a Wi-Fi access point, the system comprising:

a first access point (AP), wherein the first AP comprises an SSID, security configuration information, and network address translation (NAT) information;

a network monitor, wherein the network monitoring module comprises a processor and wherein the processor is configured with software executable instructions to cause the network monitoring module to perform operations comprising:

determining to transition communications from the first AP to a second AP and wherein the determining step comprises:

obtaining status information of other APs, including the second AP;

applying selection rules to the status information of other APs; and

selecting the second AP based on the application of the selection rules to the status information of the other APs;

acquiring the SSID, the security configuration information and the NAT information of the first access point;

sending the SSID, the security configuration information and the NAT information to the second AP;

directing the second AP to instantiate the SSID, the security configuration information and the NAT information;

receiving a confirmation that the second AP has instantiated the SSID, the security configuration information and the NAT information;

directing the first AP to cease using the SSID and the security configuration information in response to receipt of the confirmation;

wherein communications with the first AP cease and communications with the second AP are established using the SSID, the security configuration information and the NAT information of the first AP.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a home gateway and wherein the first AP is connected to the home gateway via a first tunnel.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured with software executable instructions to cause the network monitoring module to perform operations comprising:

directing the second AP to connect to the home gateway via a second tunnel; and

directing the first AP to tear down the first tunnel in response to receipt of the confirmation.

13. The system of claim 10 further comprising a datastore and a home gateway, wherein the datastore is accessible to the first and second APs and the home gateway via a network and wherein the network monitoring module is a component of the datastore.

14. The system of claim 10 further comprising a home gateway, wherein the home gateway is accessible to the first and second APs via a network, and wherein the network monitoring module is a component of the home gateway.

15. The system of claim 10 further comprising a datastore and a home gateway, wherein the datastore is accessible to the first and second APs and the home gateway via a network and wherein the instruction for acquiring the SSID, the security configuration information and the NAT information of the first access point comprises acquiring the SSID, the security configuration information and the NAT information of the first access point from the datastore.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first and second APs are in communication with a Wi-Fi device selected from the group consisting of a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a PDA, a VoIP phone and a dual network Wi-Fi phone.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first and second access points communicate with the Wi-Fi device via a communication protocol selected from the group consisting of IEEE 802.11(a), 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the selection rules are selected from the group consisting of a proximity of the second AP to a Wi-Fi device, a signal characteristic of the second AP, a channel availability of the second AP, and a movement and relative location of a Wi-Fi device.

19. A method for cloning a Wi-Fi access point, the method comprising:

determining by a processor to transition communications from a first access point (AP) to a second AP, wherein the first AP comprises an SSID and security configuration information and wherein the determining step comprises:

obtaining status information of other APs, including the second AP;

applying selection rules to the status information of other APs; and

selecting the second AP based on the application of the selection rules to the status information of the other APs;

acquiring by the processor the SSID and the security configuration information of the first access point;

sending by the processor the SSID and the security configuration information to the second AP;

directing by the processor the second AP to instantiate the SSID and the security configuration information;

receiving by the processor a confirmation that the second AP has instantiated the SSID and the security configuration information;

directing by the processor the first AP to cease using the SSID and the security configuration information in response to receipt of the confirmation;

establishing by the second AP communications using the SSID and the security configuration information of the first AP.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising connecting the first AP to a home gateway via a first tunnel.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

directing by the processor the second AP to connect to the home gateway via a second tunnel; and

directing by the processor the first AP to tear down the first tunnel in response to receipt of the confirmation.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the selection rules are selected from the group consisting of a proximity of the second AP to a Wi-Fi device, a signal characteristic of the second AP, a channel availability of the second AP, and a movement and relative location of a Wi-Fi device.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first and second APs are in communication with a Wi-Fi device selected from the group consisting of a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a PDA, a VoIP phone and a dual network Wi-Fi phone.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first and second access points communicate with the Wi-Fi device via a communication protocol selected from the group consisting of IEEE 802.11(a), 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n.

25. A method for cloning a Wi-Fi access point, the system comprising:

determining by a processor to transition communications from a first access point (AP) to a second AP, wherein the first AP comprises an SSID, security configuration information and network address translation (NAT) information, and wherein the determining step comprises:

obtaining status information of other APs, including the second AP;

applying selection rules to the status information of other APs; and

selecting the second AP based on the application of the selection rules to the status information of the other APs;

acquiring by the processor the SSID, the security configuration information and the NAT information of the first access point;

sending by the processor the SSID, the security configuration information and the NAT information to the second AP;

directing by the processor the second AP to instantiate the SSID, the security configuration information and the NAT information;

receiving by the processor a confirmation that the second AP has instantiated the SSID, the security configuration information and the NAT information;

directing by the processor the first AP to cease using the SSID, the security configuration information and the NAT information in response to receipt of the confirmation; and

establishing by the second AP communications using the SSID, the security configuration information and the NAT information of the first AP.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising connecting the first AP to a home gateway via a first tunnel.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

directing by the processor the second AP to connect to the home gateway via a second tunnel; and

directing by the processor the first AP to tear down the first tunnel in response to receipt of the confirmation.

28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the selection rules are selected from the group consisting of a proximity of the second AP to a Wi-Fi device, a signal characteristic of the second AP, a channel availability of the second AP, and a movement and relative location of a Wi-Fi device.

29. The method of claim 25 , wherein the first and second APs are in communication with a Wi-Fi device selected from the group consisting of a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a PDA, a VoIP phone and a dual network Wi-Fi phone.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the first and second access points communicate with the roaming Wi-Fi device via a communication protocol selected from the group consisting of IEEE 802.11(a), 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n.