Untethered access point mesh system and method
A technique for implementing an untethered access point (UAP) mesh involves enabling AP-local switching at one or more UAPs of the mesh. A system constructed according to the technique may include a wireless switch; an access point (AP) wire-coupled to the wireless switch; and a UAP mesh, wirelessly coupled to the AP, including a UAP with an AP-local switching engine embodied in a computer-readable medium. Another system constructed according to the technique may include an untethered access point (UAP), including: a radio; a backhaul service set identifier (SSID) stored in a computer-readable medium; an anchor access point (AAP) selection engine embodied in a computer-readable medium. In operation, the AAP selection engine may use the radio to attempt to associate with the AAP if a beaconed backhaul SSID matches the stored backhaul SSID. A method according to the technique may include beaconing with a backhaul SSID; acting in concert with an upstream switch as an authenticator for a downstream station that responds to the beacon; providing limited local switching functionality for the downstream station.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
an anchor access point (AAP) selection engine included within an untethered access point (UAP) that (1) is configured to be operatively coupled to a radio, (2) is associated with a stored backhaul service set identifier (SSID) stored in a computer-readable medium, and (3) is configured to send messages to an AAP such that the AAP sends the messages upstream using a backhaul radio and service profile,
the AAP selection engine configured to associate, via the radio, with the AAP if a beaconed backhaul SSID of the AAP matches the stored backhaul SSID.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the UAP is configured to store a bootable image, and
the UAP is configured to boot up using the bootable image.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the UAP is configured to use regulatory domain information to operate the UAP within regulatory limits before receiving a complete configuration.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the AAP selection engine is configured to listen for a beacon from the AAP that includes the beaconed backhaul SSID.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the AAP is associated with a backhaul SSID, the backhaul SSID is the beaconed backhaul SSID.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the UAP is configured to be authenticated by an authentication engine of the AAP.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the UAP is configured to store a shared key.
8. A method, comprising:
booting the UAP from a bootable image stored at the UAP;
receiving, at an untethered access point (UAP) and from an anchor access point (AAP), a beacon including a backhaul service set identifier (SSID);
comparing the backhaul SSID included in the beacon to a backhaul SSID stored in the UAP; and
connecting, to a switch, via the AAP when the backhaul SSID included in the beacon matches the backhaul SSID stored in the UAP.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the UAP is connected to the switch via AAP with a layer-2 connection.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising using regulatory domain information to operate within regulatory limits before receiving a complete configuration.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein connecting via the AAP further includes receiving an indication that the UAP was authenticated by the AAP using a shared key.
12. An apparatus, comprising:
an anchor access point (AAP) configured to broadcast a backhaul service set identifier (SSID),
the AAP configured to authenticate, via an authentication engine, an untethered access point (UAP) that has (1) matched a stored backhaul SSID to the broadcasted backhaul SSID, and (2) associated, in response to the matching, with the AAP to connect to a network,
the AAP configured to allow the UAP to perform directory protocol operations at the AAP.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the AAP is configured to transmit regulatory domain information to the UAP.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the AAP further including a backhaul radio configured to send messaged from the UAP upstream using the backhaul radio and a service profile of the AAP.
15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the AAP is configured to anchor the UAP and a limited number of additional UAPs.
16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the UAP is a first UAP,
the AAP is a second UAP.
17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the AAP is further configured to allow a layer-2 connection between the UAP and a switch.