Access point for surveillance of anomalous devices

1. A computer-implemented method in an access point for channel surveillance for anomalous devices in a wireless network, comprising:

in an access point mode, providing network access for end stations using a BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier) while in the access point mode;

in a surveillance mode, scanning one or more channels of the wireless network to identify one or more anomalous devices;

switching from the access point mode to the surveillance mode responsive to detecting a first condition, and handing-off one or more connected mobile stations to a second access point as directed by a controller, wherein the controller is in communication with and manager of a plurality of access points, and wherein the mobile stations maintain the same BSSID at the second access point, thereby making the mobile stations unaware of the hand-off.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anomalous device comprises a rogue access point.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anomalous device comprises a non-mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the non-mobile device is stationary for a predetermined amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the access point mode, the plurality of access points provide a virtual cell to a plurality of end stations, allowing the plurality of access point to access the network using the same BSSID at any one of the plurality of access points.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the access point mode, the plurality of access points provide a virtual port to a plurality of end stations, allowing a controller to manage each of the plurality of end stations using a BSSID that is uniquely assigned to each of the end stations, wherein the controller is in communication with each of the plurality of access points.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the surveillance mode, the access point listens to beacons to identify a rogue access point that is not part of a plurality of managed access points.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the surveillance mode, the access point sends probe requests to elicit probe responses from a rogue access point that is not part of a plurality of managed access points.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the first condition comprises:

detecting the first condition responsive to at least one of: expiration of a predetermined amount of time, a turn in a rolling sequence of a plurality of access points, and a determination that network services will not be disrupted.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing remediation on the one or more anomalous devices.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting a second condition, and in response, switching from the surveillance mode to the access point mode.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless network complies with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for network channel surveillance of anomalous devices, comprising:

in an access point mode, providing network access for end stations using a BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier) while in the access point mode;

in a surveillance mode, scanning one or more channels of the wireless network to identify one or more anomalous devices;

switching from the access point mode to the surveillance mode responsive to detecting a first condition, and handing-off one or more connected end stations to a second access point as directed by a controller, wherein the controller is in communication with and manager of a plurality of access points, and wherein the mobile stations maintain the same BSSID at the second access point, thereby making the mobile stations unaware of the hand-off.

14. An access point for network channel surveillance for anomalous devices, comprising:

an access point module to use radios providing network access for end stations using a BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier) while in the access point mode;

the surveillance module to use the radios to scan one or more channels of the wireless network to identify one or more anomalous devices; and

a mode switch to detect a first condition, wherein responsive to the detection, the access point module hands-off one or more connected end stations to a second access point as directed by a controller, wherein the controller is in communication with and manager of a plurality of access points, and wherein the mobile stations maintain the same BSSID at the second access point, thereby making the mobile stations unaware of the hand-off, and wherein the mode switch switches control of radios to the surveillance module.