Wireless link monitoring and active troubleshooting
View Patent ↗According to one embodiment of the invention, a method comprises transmitting a Layer 2 (L2) frame from a first wireless device. Upon receipt of a frame in response to the L2 frame, the first wireless device uses information conveyed in the frame to modify its functionality.
1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which when executed by one or more hardware processors of a first wireless device cause the first wireless device to monitor a communication between an access point and a second wireless device, wherein to monitor the communication, the first wireless device is to:
detect a unicast message transmitted by the access point addressed to the second wireless device, wherein the unicast message transmitted by the access point is not responsive to any prior message received by the access point from the second wireless device;
detect an Acknowledgement (ACK) frame transmitted from the second wireless device to the access point, wherein the ACK frame is responsive to the unicast message and includes Media Access Control (MAC) header and a Frame Check Sequence (FCS) and does not include a frame body for data transfer; and
determine one or more characteristics of the second wireless device based on information obtained from the detected unicast message and the detected ACK frame.
2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprise a location of the second wireless device.
3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprise an antenna connectivity for the second wireless device.
4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless device is further to determine an orientation for a directional antenna of the second wireless device based on the ACK frame or determine an orientation for a directional antenna of the access point based on the ACK frame.
5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the unicast message includes a Layer 2 frame that identifies a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the second wireless device as a destination address.
6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the unicast message includes an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Layer 2 frame.
7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the first wireless device to determine a data transmission rate for communication with the second wireless device based on the ACK frame.
8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprise a distance between the second wireless device and the access point.
9. A first wireless device comprising:
one or more hardware processors; and
a memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more hardware processors cause the first wireless device to monitor a communication between an access point and a second wireless device, wherein to monitor the communication, the first wireless device is to:
detect a unicast message transmitted by the access point addressed to the second wireless device, wherein the unicast message transmitted by the access point is not responsive to any prior message received by the access point from the second wireless device;
detect an Acknowledgement (ACK) frame transmitted from the second wireless device to the access point, wherein the ACK frame is responsive to the unicast message and includes Media Access Control (MAC) header and a Frame Check Sequence (FCS) and does not include a frame body for data transfer; and
determine one or more characteristics of the second wireless device based on information obtained from the detected unicast message and the detected ACK frame.
10. The first wireless device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprise a location of the second wireless device.
11. The first wireless device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprise an antenna connectivity for the second wireless device.
12. The first wireless device of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the first wireless device to determine an orientation for a directional antenna of the second wireless device based on the ACK frame or determine an orientation for a directional antenna of the access point based on the ACK frame.
13. The first wireless device of claim 9 , wherein the unicast message includes a Layer 2 frame that identifies a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the second wireless device as a destination address.
14. The first wireless device of claim 9 , wherein the unicast message includes an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Layer 2 frame.
15. The first wireless device of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the first wireless device to determine a data transmission rate for communication with the second wireless device based on the ACK frame.
16. The first wireless device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprise a distance between the second wireless device and the access point.