IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,375,441

Granted Patent B2

US 11,375,441 · App. 17/008,512 · Granted Jun 28, 2022

Systems and methods for connecting wireless clients to preferred edge devices in active-active deployments

Inventors: Rajesh Kumar Nuwula (Sunnyvale, CA); Anindya Bhowmick (Sunnyvale, CA); Monil Patel (Bengaluru, IN); Vyasraj Sagar (Bengaluru, IN)

Assignee: Versa Networks, Inc.

H04W48/16 H04B17/318 H04L45/586 H04W8/005 H04W60/00 H04W84/20 H04W84/12

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 11,375,441
App. No.: 17/008,512
Granted: Jun 28, 2022
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

A WI-FI access point can be configured to communicate with a service set using a service set identifier (SSID) and to respond to, or not respond to, probe requests based on whether the WI-FI access point is a preferred access point for the SSID. The WI-FI access point can have a probe suppression indicator that indicates suppressive when the access point is not preferred and that indicates responsive when the access point is preferred. Transmitting a WI-FI beacon having a SSID value equaling the SSID can inform WI-FI clients of the service set. The WI-FI clients can transmit probe requests having SSID values equaling the SSID. The WI-FI access point can suppress sending probe responses responsive to the probe requests when the probe suppression indicator indicates suppressive. The WI-FI access point can send probe responses responsive to the probe requests when the probe suppression indicator indicates responsive.

Claims (45)

1. A method implemented by a WI-FI access point configured to communicate with a service set using a SSID (service set identifier), the method comprising:

setting a probe suppression indicator to indicate suppressive;

sending a WI-FI beacon having a SSID value indicating the SSID;

receiving a probe request, the SSID value of the probe request indicating the SSID;

determining, based at least in part on the probe suppression indicator, to suppress a probe response responsive to the probe request; and

suppressing the probe response.

2. The method implemented by the WI-FI access point of claim 1 , the method further comprising: setting the probe suppression indicator to indicate responsive; receiving a second probe request, the SSID value of the second probe request indicating the SSID; determining, based at least in part on the probe suppression indicator, to transmit a second probe response responsive to the second probe request; and transmitting the second probe response.

3. The method implemented by the WI-FI access point of claim 1 , the method further comprising: receiving a second probe request, the SSID value of the second probe request indicating the SSID; determining, based at least in part a received signal strength of the second probe request, to transmit a second probe response responsive to the second probe request wherein the probe suppression indicator indicates suppressive; and transmitting the second probe response.

4. The method implemented by the WI-FI access point of claim 1 further comprising: receiving a WI-FI packet from a second WI-FI access point, the SSID value of the WI-FI packet indicating the SSID; determining that the second WI-FI access point is preferred over the WI-FI access point for the SSID; and setting the probe suppression indicator to suppressive.

5. The method implemented by the WI-FI access point of claim 1 further comprising: transmitting the probe response after determining that a second WI-FI access point is unresponsive to the probe request.

6. The method implemented by the WI-FI access point of claim 1 further comprising: setting the probe suppression indicator to responsive after determining that a second WI-FI access point is unresponsive to the probe request.

7. The method implemented by the WI-FI access point of claim 1 further comprising: setting the probe suppression indicator to responsive in accordance with a command received from a controller, wherein the probe suppression indicator of a second WI-FI access point is set to suppressive in response to another command sent by the controller.

8. The method implemented by the WI-FI access point of claim 1 further comprising: keeping an activity timer that times out after an elapsed time since a second WI-FI access point has transmitted a WI-FI packet for the SSID; and setting the probe suppression indicator to responsive in response to the activity timer timing out.

9. The method implemented by the WI-FI access point of claim 1 wherein: the WI-FI access point and a second WI-FI access point are in a virtual router redundancy protocol (VRRP) group having a VRRP master and a VRRP backup, the probe suppression indicator of the WI-FI access point indicates responsive when the WI-FI access point is the VRRP master, the probe suppression indicator of the second WI-FI access point indicates responsive when the second WI-FI access point is the VRRP master, the probe suppression indicator of the WI-FI access point indicates suppressive when the WI-FI access point is the VRRP backup, and the probe suppression indicator of the second WI-FI access point indicates suppressive when the second WI-FI access point is the VRRP backup.

10. A WI-FI access point configured to:

communicate with a service set using a SSID (service set identifier);

set a probe suppression indicator to indicate suppressive;

send a WI-FI beacon having a SSID value indicating the SSID;

receive a probe request, the SSID value of the probe request indicating the SSID; and

suppress, based at least in part on the probe suppression indicator, a probe response responsive to the probe request.

11. The WI-FI access point of claim 10 , wherein the WI-FI access point is further configured to: set the probe suppression indicator to indicate responsive; receive a second probe request, the SSID value of the second probe request indicating the SSID; determine, based at least in part on the probe suppression indicator, to transmit a second probe response responsive to the second probe request; and transmit the second probe response.

12. The WI-FI access point of claim 10 , wherein the WI-FI access point is further configured to: receive a second probe request, the SSID value of the second probe request indicating the SSID; determine, based at least in part a received signal strength of the second probe request, to transmit a second probe response responsive to the second probe request wherein the probe suppression indicator indicates suppressive; and transmit the second probe response.

13. The WI-FI access point of claim 10 , wherein the WI-FI access point is further configured to: receive a WI-FI packet from a second WI-FI access point, the SSID value of the WI-FI packet indicating the SSID; determine that the second WI-FI access point is preferred over the WI-FI access point for the SSID; and set the probe suppression indicator to suppressive.

14. The WI-FI access point of claim 10 , wherein the WI-FI access point is further configured to: transmit the probe response after determining that a second WI-FI access point is unresponsive to the probe request.

15. The WI-FI access point of claim 10 , wherein the WI-FI access point is further configured to: set the probe suppression indicator to responsive after determining that a second WI-FI access point is unresponsive to the probe request.

16. The WI-FI access point of claim 10 , wherein the WI-FI access point is further configured to: set the probe suppression indicator to responsive in accordance with a command received from a controller, wherein the probe suppression indicator of a second WI-FI access point is set to suppressive in response to another command sent by the controller.

17. The WI-FI access point of claim 10 , wherein the WI-FI access point is further configured to: keep an activity timer that times out after an elapsed time since a second WI-FI access point has transmitted a WI-FI packet for the SSID; and set the probe suppression indicator to responsive in response to the activity timer timing out.

18. The WI-FI access point of claim 10 , wherein: the WI-FI access point and a second WI-FI access point are in a virtual router redundancy protocol (VRRP) group having a VRRP master and a VRRP backup, the probe suppression indicator of the WI-FI access point indicates responsive when the WI-FI access point is the VRRP master, the probe suppression indicator of the second WI-FI access point indicates responsive when the second WI-FI access point is the VRRP master, the probe suppression indicator of the WI-FI access point indicates suppressive when the WI-FI access point is the VRRP backup, and the probe suppression indicator of the second WI-FI access point indicates suppressive when the second WI-FI access point is the VRRP backup.

19. A WI-FI access point comprising:

access point means for communicating with a service set using a service set identifier (SSID);

access point means for indicating a state as suppressive or responsive for the SSID;

access point means for setting the state;

access point means for changing the state;

access point means for transmitting a beacon, the beacon having access point means for indicating the SSID;

access point means for receiving a probe request, the probe request having access point means for indicating the SSID;

access point means for suppressing a probe response based on the state; and

access point means for transmitting the probe response based on the state.

20. The WI-FI access point of claim 19 further comprising access point means for coordinating the state with a second state of a second WI-FI access point, the second WI-FI access point comprising:

second access point means for communicating with the service set using the service set identifier (SSID);

access point means for indicating the second state as suppressive or responsive for the SSID;

access point means for setting the second state;

access point means for changing the second state;

second access point means for receiving the probe request;

access point means for suppressing a second probe response based on the second state; and

access point means for transmitting the second probe response based on the second state.

Assignments (7)

RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 27, 2025

From: SILICON VALLEY BANK, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

To: VERSA NETWORKS, INC.

Reel/Frame 070010/0374 →