Identification of mobile nodes in WLAN communications

1. A method in a node identification system for identifying at least one unknown mobile node in a communications network using details related to at least one known mobile node and organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node, the method comprising:

capturing details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and identifying an organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node;

comparing the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node with the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node;

determining a type of the at least one unknown mobile node based on the comparing of the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node with the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node;

identifying those unknown mobile nodes from the at least one unknown mobile node having identical details;

identifying, from those unknown mobile nodes having identical details, a set of unknown mobile nodes having different media access control (MAC) addresses;

determining, from the set of unknown mobile nodes having different MAC addresses, whether any unknown mobile nodes have random MAC addresses;

if it is determined that unknown mobile nodes from the set of unknown mobile nodes having different MAC addresses have random MAC addresses:

tagging the unknown mobile nodes having random MAC addresses as a single unknown mobile node; and

if it is determined that unknown mobile nodes from the set of unknown mobile nodes having different MAC addresses do not have random MAC addresses:

tagging the unknown mobile nodes having random MAC addresses as separate unknown mobile nodes.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the details related to the at least one unknown mobile node is captured by a network protocol analyzer.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining known data about the at least one known mobile node; and

creating a fingerprint database, the fingerprint database comprising the organized details related to the at least one known mobile node and the obtained known data about the at least one known mobile node.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein comparing the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node with the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile comprises:

comparing the details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node with the organized details related to the at least one known mobile node and the obtained known data about the at least one known mobile node stored in the fingerprint database.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the details related to the at least one known mobile node includes at least one of an identity of a vendor of the at least one known mobile node, a model number of the at least one known mobile node, a chipset type of the at least one known mobile node, and a firmware version used in the at least one known mobile node.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node do not match the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node, further comprising outputting a list of known mobile nodes having details closest to details of the at least one unknown mobile nodes.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing the details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one unknown mobile node in an unknown mobile node database;

comparing contents of the unknown mobile node database with future captured details related to other known mobile nodes and organization of the future captured details related to the other known mobile nodes;

identifying those details related to the at least one unknown mobile node that match the future captured details related to the other known mobile nodes based on comparing the contents of the unknown mobile node database with the future captured details related to other known mobile nodes and the organization of the future captured details related to the other known mobile nodes; and

updating the contents of the unknown mobile node database to include the identified details.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the details related to the at least one known mobile node are captured from a probe request transmitted by the at least one known mobile node and the details related to the at least one unknown mobile node are captured from another probe request transmitted by the at least one unknown mobile node.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein if a match is found between (A) the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node, and (B) the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node, further comprising:

outputting information regarding the match to at least one of a display and a file.

10. A node identification system configured to identify at least one unknown mobile node in a communications network using details related to at least one known mobile node and organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node, the node identification system comprising:

a communications interface configured to:

capture details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and identifying an organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node; and

processing circuitry including a memory and a processor, the memory in communication with the processor, the memory having instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

compare the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node with the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node;

determine a type of the at least one unknown mobile node based on the comparing of the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node with the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node;

identify those unknown mobile nodes from the at least one unknown mobile node having identical details;

identify, from those unknown mobile nodes having identical details, a set of unknown mobile nodes have different media access control (MAC) addresses;

determine, from the set of unknown mobile nodes having different MAC addresses, whether any unknown mobile nodes have random MAC addresses;

if it is determined that unknown mobile nodes from the set of unknown mobile nodes having different MAC addresses have random MAC addresses:

tag the unknown mobile nodes having random MAC addresses as a single unknown mobile node; and

if it is determined that unknown mobile nodes from the set of unknown mobile nodes having different MAC addresses do not have random MAC addresses:

tag the unknown mobile nodes having random MAC addresses as separate unknown mobile nodes.

11. The node identification system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the details related to the at least one unknown mobile node is captured by a network protocol analyzer.

12. The node identification system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain known data about the at least one known mobile node; and

create a fingerprint database, the fingerprint database comprising the organized details related to the at least one known mobile node and the obtained known data about the at least one known mobile node.

13. The node identification system of claim 12 , wherein comparing the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node with the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node comprises:

comparing the details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node with the organized details related to the at least one known mobile node and the obtained known data about the at least one known mobile node stored in the fingerprint database.

14. The node identification system of claim 10 , wherein the details related to the at least one known mobile node includes at least one of an identity of a vendor of the at least one known mobile node, a model number of the at least one known mobile node, a chipset type of the at least one known mobile node, and a firmware version used in the at least one known mobile node.

15. The node identification system of claim 10 , wherein if the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node do not match the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node, further comprising outputting a list of known mobile nodes having details closest to details of the at least one unknown mobile nodes.

16. The node identification system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

store the details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one unknown mobile node in an unknown mobile node database;

compare contents of the unknown mobile node database with future captured details related to other known mobile nodes and organization of the future captured details related to the other known mobile nodes;

identify those details related to the at least one unknown mobile node that match the future captured details related to the other known mobile nodes based on comparing the contents of the unknown mobile node database with the future captured details related to other known mobile nodes and the organization of the future captured details related to the other known mobile nodes; and

update the contents of the unknown mobile node database to include the identified details.

17. The node identification system of claim 10 , wherein if a match is found between (A) the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node, and (B) the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node, the processor is further configured to:

output information regarding the match to at least one of a display and a file.

18. A method in a node identification system for identifying at least one unknown mobile node in a communications network using details related to at least one known mobile node and organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node, the details related to the at least one known mobile node including at least one of an identity of a vendor of the at least one known mobile node, a model number of the at least one known mobile node, a chipset type of the at least one known mobile node, and a firmware version used in the at least one known mobile node, the method comprising:

receiving a probe request from at least one unknown mobile node;

capturing details from the received probe request related to the at least one unknown mobile node and identifying an organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node;

comparing the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node with the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node;

determining a type of the at least one unknown mobile node based on the comparing of the details related to the at least one known mobile node and the organization of the details related to the at least one known mobile node with the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node and the organization of the captured details related to the at least one unknown mobile node;

identifying those unknown mobile nodes from the at least one unknown mobile node having identical details;

identifying, from those unknown mobile nodes having identical details, a set of unknown mobile nodes having different media access control (MAC) addresses;

determining, from the set of unknown mobile nodes having different MAC addresses, whether any unknown mobile nodes have random MAC addresses;

if it is determined that unknown mobile nodes from the set of unknown mobile nodes having different MAC addresses have random MAC addresses:

tagging the unknown mobile nodes having random MAC addresses as a single unknown mobile node; and

if it is determined that unknown mobile nodes from the set of unknown mobile nodes having different MAC addresses do not have random MAC addresses:

tagging the unknown mobile nodes having random MAC addresses as separate unknown mobile nodes.