Sensing conditions of a wireless network

1. A method of sensing conditions of a wireless network, comprising:

receiving, by a network sensor of a plurality of coordinated network sensors within the wireless network a packet transmitted to an access point;

determining, by the network sensor, a time stamp for the packet for synchronization of packet transmission; and

determining, by the network sensor, whether to transmit at least a representation of the received packet transmitted to the access point to a service engine of the wireless network based on at least the time stamp of the packet plus or minus a statistical confidence interval of time synchronization between the plurality of coordinated network sensors and on an internal state of the network sensor; and wherein:

the internal state of the network sensor comprises a data structure that stores a subsampling of previously input transmitter addresses active in the wireless network during a time window immediately prior to receiving the packet; and

determining whether to transmit the at least the representation of the packet comprises:

determining whether a transmitter address of the packet is different than any transmitter address of any other packet evaluated within a last T1 seconds of the time window or whether the transmitter address of the packet matches a transmitter address of another packet that is different than any transmitter address within a last T2 seconds of the time window.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the at least the representation of the packet upon determining to transmit the at least the representation of the packet.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to transmit the at least the representation of the packet is additionally based on at least one of a packet header or packet content.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to transmit the at least the representation of the packet is additionally based on an external state of the network sensor, wherein the external state comprises non-wireless observations of the network sensor or non-wireless events.

5. The method of claim 1 , where determining whether to transmit the at least the representation of the packet is additionally based on the internal state of the network sensor and on at least one of a packet header or packet content.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to transmit the at least the representation of the packet is additionally based on a decision rule received by the network sensor from an external device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to transmit the at least the representation of the packet is additionally based on an at least pseudo randomization rule that results in at least pseudo random transmission of a plurality of representations of packets by the network sensor.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least pseudo randomization rule comprises a seed, wherein the seed is received from an external device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to transmit the at least the representation of the packet is additionally based on a periodic rule that results in periodic transmission of a plurality of representations of packets by the network sensor.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of coordinated network sensors receive a corresponding packet, determine a corresponding time stamp for the corresponding packet, and determine whether to transmit at least a representation of the corresponding packet to the service engine of the wireless network based on at least the time stamp of the received corresponding packet.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of coordinated network sensors is adaptively selected.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining which of the received packets or which of the representations of the received packets is transmitted to the service engine by the network sensor functioning as a gate to the service engine through a transceiver; and wherein:

a gating enabling coordination between a plurality of network sensors results in sub sampling of the received packets or the representations of the received packets, and reduces an impact of the received packets or the representations of the received packets on a backhaul of the plurality of network sensors.

13. A wireless network sensor of a plurality of coordinated wireless network sensors, the wireless network sensor comprising:

a receiver within a wireless network operative to receive packets intended for a target receiver;

an internal clock, operative to determine and associate a time stamp with each received packet for synchronization of packet transmission;

a controller operative to determine whether to transmit at least a representation of each received packet transmitted to the receiver to a service engine of the wireless network based on at least the time stamp of the received packet plus or minus a statistical confidence interval of time synchronization between the plurality of coordinated wireless network sensors and on an internal state of the network sensor; and

a transmitter operative to transmit to the service engine at least the representation of the received packet that is determined to be transmitted; and wherein

the internal state of the network sensor comprises a data structure that stores a subsampling of previously input transmitter addresses active in the wireless network during a time window immediately prior to receiving the packet; and

to determine whether to transmit the at least the representation of the received packet comprises:

the controller being operative to determine whether a transmitter address of the packet is different than any transmitter address of any other packet evaluated within a last T1 seconds of the time window or whether the transmitter address of the packet matches a transmitter address of another packet that is different than any transmitter address within a last T2 seconds of the time window.

14. The wireless network sensor of claim 13 , wherein determining whether to transmit the at least the representation of the received packet is additionally based on at least one of a packet header or packet content.

15. The wireless network sensor of claim 13 , wherein determining whether to transmit the at least the representation of the received packet is additionally based on a decision rule received by the network sensor from an external device.

16. The wireless network sensor of claim 13 , wherein determining whether to transmit the at least the representation of the received packet is additionally based on an at least pseudo randomization rule that results in at least pseudo random transmission of a plurality of at least representations of the packets by the wireless network sensor, wherein the at least pseudo randomization rule comprises a seed, wherein the seed is received from an external device.

17. The wireless network sensor of claim 13 , wherein the data structure further stores packet rates or data rates within the wireless network over a number of past time windows.

18. The wireless network sensor of claim 13 , wherein:

a representation of a packet transmitted to the service engine of the wireless network comprises a representation of a plurality of packets; and

the representation of the plurality of packets comprises a representation of a presently received packet and a representation of another packet.

19. The wireless network sensor of claim 13 , wherein:

the receiver is operative to receive packets intended for reception by another receiver within the wireless network; and

the network sensor is operative to passively overhear the received packets, wherein, based on characteristics of the overheard received packets, quality of a link between access points within the wireless network is estimated.