Wireless extender secure discovery and provisioning
View Patent ↗According to embodiments of the invention, a first wireless access point discovers a second wireless access point, the first wireless access point tunes its radio and privacy settings, without user input, based upon parameters automatically exchanged in response to the discovery of the second wireless access point, and a secure direct wireless connection is established between the first and second wireless access points using the radio and privacy settings. Adding the first wireless to an existing mesh network includes a determination of the best available direct wireless connection.
1. A computer-implemented method to extend a wireless network, the method comprising:
broadcasting, by a first wireless access point, advertisement data to enable a second wireless access point capable of acting as a wireless extender to discover the first wireless access point;
automatically, in response to the second access point discovering the first wireless access point, exchanging parameters between the first and second wireless access points, wherein the second access point self-tunes, without user input, radio and privacy settings to establish a secure direct wireless connection between the first and second wireless access points based upon the exchanged parameters; and
establishing the secure direct wireless connection between the first and second wireless access points using the radio and privacy settings.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the exchanging parameters includes
the first access point receiving discovery parameters from the second wireless access point, wherein the discovery parameters include a secret key,
the first wireless access point and the second access point each generating a session key using the secret key, wherein the session keys generated by the first and second wireless access points are both generated using the secret key transmitted by the second access point,
the first wireless access point transmitting to the second wireless access point an offer including offer parameters encrypted by the session key generated by the first wireless access point, wherein the offer parameters include a privacy setting for the second wireless access point,
the second wireless access point decrypting the offer using the session key generated by the second wireless access point.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the secret key includes a random number and version data.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising the first wireless access point determining if the second wireless access point is compatible with the first wireless access point based upon the discovery parameters.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the advertisement data includes a first public key and the discovery parameters are encrypted by the first public key.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the discovery parameters include a second public key, and wherein the offer is encrypted by the second public key.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the discovery parameters include a second public key, the method further comprising the first wireless access point verifying the second public key.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein acting as a wireless extender includes the second wireless access point managing a basic service set and relaying traffic from the basic service set to the first wireless access point.
9. A first wireless access point comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which when executed, cause the first wireless access point to:
broadcast advertisement data to enable a second wireless access point capable of acting as a wireless extender to discover the first wireless access point;
automatically, in response to the second access point discovering the first wireless access point, exchange parameters between the first and second wireless access points, wherein the second access point self-tunes, without user input, radio and privacy settings to establish a secure direct wireless connection between the first and second wireless access points based upon the exchanged parameters; and
establish the secure direct wireless connection between the first and second wireless access points using the radio and privacy settings.
10. The first wireless access point of claim 9 , wherein:
the exchanging parameters includes
the first access point receiving discovery parameters from the second wireless access point, wherein the discovery parameters include a secret key,
the first wireless access point and the second access point each generating a session key using the secret key, wherein the session keys generated by the first and second wireless access points are both generated using the secret key transmitted by the second access point,
the first wireless access point transmitting to the second wireless access point an offer including offer parameters encrypted by the session key generated by the first wireless access point, wherein the offer parameters include a privacy setting for the second wireless access point,
the second wireless access point decrypting the offer using the session key generated by the second wireless access point.
11. The first wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein the secret key includes a random number and version data.
12. The first wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein the first wireless access point further determines if the second wireless access point is compatible with the first wireless access point based upon the discovery parameters.
13. The first wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein the advertisement data includes a first public key and the discovery parameters are encrypted by the first public key.
14. The first wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein the discovery parameters include a second public key, and wherein the offer is encrypted by the second public key.
15. The first wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein the discovery parameters include a second public key, the method further comprising the first wireless access point verifying the second public key.
16. The first wireless access point of claim 10 , wherein acting as a wireless extender includes the second wireless access point managing a basic service set and relaying traffic from the basic service set to the first wireless access point.
17. A machine-readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by a machine cause a first wireless access point to:
broadcast advertisement data to enable a second wireless access point capable of acting as a wireless extender to discover the first wireless access point;
automatically, in response to the second access point discovering the first wireless access point, exchange parameters between the first and second wireless access points, wherein the second access point self-tunes, without user input, radio and privacy settings to establish a secure direct wireless connection between the first and second wireless access points based upon the exchanged parameters; and
establish the secure direct wireless connection between the first and second wireless access points using the radio and privacy settings.
18. The first wireless access point of claim 17 , wherein:
the exchanging parameters includes
the first access point receiving discovery parameters from the second wireless access point, wherein the discovery parameters include a secret key,
the first wireless access point and the second access point each generating a session key using the secret key, wherein the session keys generated by the first and second wireless access points are both generated using the secret key transmitted by the second access point,
the first wireless access point transmitting to the second wireless access point an offer including offer parameters encrypted by the session key generated by the first wireless access point, wherein the offer parameters include a privacy setting for the second wireless access point,
the second wireless access point decrypting the offer using the session key generated by the second wireless access point.
19. The first wireless access point of claim 18 , wherein the secret key includes a random number and version data.
20. The first wireless access point of claim 18 , wherein the first wireless access point further determines if the second wireless access point is compatible with the first wireless access point based upon the discovery parameters.
21. The first wireless access point of claim 18 , wherein the advertisement data includes a first public key and the discovery parameters are encrypted by the first public key.
22. The first wireless access point of claim 18 , wherein the discovery parameters include a second public key, and wherein the offer is encrypted by the second public key.
23. The first wireless access point of claim 18 , wherein the discovery parameters include a second public key, the method further comprising the first wireless access point verifying the second public key.
24. The first wireless access point of claim 18 , wherein acting as a wireless extender includes the second wireless access point managing a basic service set and relaying traffic from the basic service set to the first wireless access point.