Utilizing blacklist steering to prevent rejection of BSS transition management (BTM) steering
Wireless devices (clients) connect to different access points (AP) in a wireless network. The wireless network may determine that based on, for example, congestion of certain APs that a client should be steered away from a current AP. Steering may be conducted utilizing BSS transition management (BTM) messages to provide the client with a list of network-preferred APs for a transition. Clients may also have one or more preferred APs and may reject the BTM steering message if it does not include at least one client-preferred AP. To prevent rejection of the BTM message, at least one client-preferred AP may be added to the BTM message. To ensure the client is steered to a network-preferred AP, the client is blacklisted from connecting to the client-preferred AP until the client has been steered to a network-preferred AP.
1. A method for preventing a wireless device from rejecting BSS transition management (BTM) steering in a wireless network, the method comprising:
preparing a list of network-preferred access points in the wireless network for the wireless device to connect to the wireless network;
creating a modified list by adding at least one client-preferred access point for the wireless device to the list of network-preferred access points;
preparing a BTM steering message utilizing the modified list;
blacklisting the wireless device from connecting to the at least one client-preferred access point; and
sending the BTM steering message to the wireless device.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the wireless device should be steered away from a current access point of the wireless device.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the list of network-preferred access points does not include the at least one client-preferred access point.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining that the at least one client-preferred access point is known.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a rejection of the BTM steering message from the wireless device, wherein the rejection is received because the BTM steering message included no client-preferred access points; and
wherein the creating the modified list is performed after the rejection is received.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the rejection includes a list of client-preferred access points; and
creating the modified list comprises:
adding, from the list of client-preferred access points included in the rejection, the at least one client-preferred access point.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring connectivity of the wireless device to determine whether the BTM steering message resulted in a successful BTM steering.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
whitelisting the wireless device for connecting to the at least one client-preferred access point from which it was previously blacklisted subsequent to the successful BTM steering.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
tracking a length of time that the wireless device is disconnected from the wireless network.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
when the length of time is longer than a defined period of time, whitelisting the wireless device for connecting to all the access points in the wireless network.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, when the length of time is longer than a defined period of time, whitelisting the wireless device for connecting to the at least one client-preferred access point.
12. A device for preventing a wireless device from rejecting BSS transition management (BTM) steering in a wireless network, the device comprising:
a wired interface to communicate with one or more wireless access points associated with the wireless network;
a processor communicatively coupled to a memory for storing network configuration information and network connectivity information; and
a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
prepare a list of network-preferred access points in the wireless network for the wireless device to connect to the wireless network;
create a modified list by adding at least one client-preferred access point for the wireless device to the list of network-preferred access points;
instruct a current access point to prepare a BTM steering message utilizing the modified list and to send the BTM steering message to the wireless device; and
blacklist the wireless device from connecting to the at least one client-preferred access point.
13. The device of claim 12 , wherein when the instructions are executed they cause the processor to:
receive a rejection of the BTM steering message from the wireless device, wherein the rejection is received because no client-preferred access points were included in the BTM steering message, and
create the modified list after the rejection is received.
14. The device of claim 12 , wherein when the instructions are executed they cause the processor to:
monitor connectivity of the wireless device to determine whether the BTM steering message resulted in a successful BTM steering; and
whitelist the wireless device for connecting to the at least one client-preferred access point from which it was previously blacklisted subsequent to the successful BTM steering.
15. The device of claim 12 , wherein when the instructions are executed they cause the processor to:
track a length of time the wireless device is disconnected from the network; and
when the length of time is longer than a defined period of time, whitelist the wireless device for connecting to either of:
all the access points in the network, or
the at least one client-preferred access point.
16. A wireless network comprising:
a plurality of access points to enable wireless devices to connect to the wireless network; and
a network controller to control operation of the wireless network including preventing a wireless device from rejecting BSS transition management (BTM) steering by:
preparing a list of network-preferred access points in the wireless network for the wireless device to connect to the wireless network;
creating a modified list by adding at least one client-preferred access point for the wireless device to the list of network-preferred access points;
instructing a current access point to prepare a BTM steering message utilizing the modified list and to send the BTM steering message to the wireless device; and
blacklisting the wireless device from connecting to the at least one client-preferred access point.
17. The wireless network of claim 16 , wherein the network controller further prevents the wireless device from rejecting BTM steering by:
receiving a rejection of the BTM steering message from the wireless device, wherein the rejection is received because no client-preferred access points were included in the BTM steering message, and
creating the modified list after the rejection is received.
18. The wireless network of claim 16 , wherein the network controller further prevents the wireless device from rejecting BTM steering by:
monitoring connectivity of the wireless device to determine whether the BTM steering message resulted in a successful BTM steering; and
whitelisting the wireless device for connecting to the at least one client-preferred access point from which it was previously blacklisted subsequent to the successful BTM steering.
19. The wireless network of claim 16 , wherein the network controller further prevents the wireless device from rejecting BTM steering by:
tracking a length of time the wireless device is disconnected from the network; and
when the length of time is longer than a defined period of time, whitelisting the wireless device for connecting to either of:
all the access points in the network, or
the at least one client-preferred access point.
20. The wireless network of claim 16 , wherein one of the plurality of access points is a network gateway and the network controller operates in the network gateway.