System and methods for client steering
A method, system, and apparatus for optimizing a connection of a station (STA) in a mesh network of a plurality of 802.11 access points (APs) carried out by a client steering daemon (CSD) running on an AP of the plurality of APs. The CSD may calculate a cost ratio based on a plurality of metrics from a list and compare the signal strength information against a predetermined value. Based on the outcome of the signal strength comparison the CSD may analyze risk for the STA, determine a course of action for the STA based on the calculating, comparing, and analyzing and send instructions to a plurality of CSDs running on each of the plurality of APs for the course of action. The course of action may be keeping a STA associated with a current interface, guiding a STA to a destination interface, or kicking a STA to a destination interface.
1. A method implemented by a first client steering (CSD) daemon running on a first access point (AP) of a mesh network for managing a station (STA) between interfaces, wherein the mesh network has a plurality of APs each with one CSD, the method comprising:
calculating a fall out risk cost ratio based on a plurality of metrics from a list stored on the first AP, wherein the cost ratio is calculated by subtracting a cost of a destination interface from a cost of a current interface to produce a result, and dividing the result by the cost of the current interface, wherein a predetermined value is added to an RSSI of the current interface and the predetermined value is subtracted from an RSSI of the destination interface;
performing one or more first actions on a condition that there is a fall out risk based on the fall out risk cost ratio; and
performing one or more second actions on a condition that there is not a fall out risk based on the fall out risk cost ratio.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first actions is different than the one or more second actions, and wherein the one or more first actions and the one or more second actions include: do not guide the STA; guide the STA; guide the STA utilizing 802.11v message; and kick the STA using a blacklist.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the 802.11v message comprises a transition management request message sent to the STA indicating a medium access control (MAC) address of the destination interface.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first actions and the one or more second actions include sending an announcement message that includes instructions to direct the STA to the destination interface, wherein directing includes instructing each CSD running on each of the plurality of APs, except for a CSD associated with the destination interface, to remove an SSID of any beacons associated with the current interface.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising, upon determining directing the STA was unsuccessful a number of times, placing the STA on an untouchable list stored by the first CSD, and sending a message to the CSD of each of the plurality of APs with instructions to remove the STA from a blacklist of the CSD of each of the plurality of APs.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising acquiring capability information of the STA by recording past connections with the STA, observing probe requests, and receiving any announcement messages from the CSD of each of the plurality of APs.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating the list of metrics based on monitoring performed by the first CSD and received announcement messages.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cost of the current interface is calculated based on a signal strength of the STA relative to the current interface, and an end-to-end cost of a path from the current interface to a root-AP of the mesh network.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: blacklisting the STA on the current interface to steer the STA based on the fall out risk cost ratio; and sending an announcement message to the plurality of CSDs running on respective APs of each of the plurality of APs with instructions to guide the STA to the destination interface based on the fall out risk cost ratio.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein either the one or more first actions and one or more second actions are further dependent upon one or more conditions comprising:
a condition that the destination interface is directly connected to the dynamic host configuration protocol server located on the root AP of the mesh network;
a condition that an RSSI of the destination interface is greater than a first threshold; a condition that the RSSI of the destination interface is less than a first threshold but greater than a second threshold; or
a condition that an RSSI of the destination interface is less than a second threshold.
11. A first access point (AP) of a mesh network for managing a station (STA) between interfaces, the first AP comprising:
a processor operatively coupled to a radio, the processor and radio configured to run a client steering daemon (CSD), wherein the CSD is configured to calculate a fall out risk cost ratio based on a plurality of metrics from a list stored on the first AP, wherein the cost ratio is calculated by subtracting a cost of a destination interface from a cost of a current interface to produce a result, and dividing the result by the cost of the current interface, wherein a predetermined value is added to an RSSI of the current interface and the predetermined value is subtracted from an RSSI of the destination interface;
the processor and radio configured to run the CSD, wherein the CSD is configured to perform one or more first actions on a condition that there is a fall out risk based on the fall out risk cost ratio; and
the processor and radio configured to run the CSD, wherein the CSD is configured to perform one or more second actions on a condition that there is not a fall out risk based on the fall out risk cost ratio.
12. The first AP of claim 11 , wherein the one or more first actions is different than the one or more second actions, and wherein the one or more first actions and the one or more second actions include: do not guide the STA; guide the STA; guide the STA utilizing 802.11v message; and kick the STA using a blacklist.
13. The first AP of claim 12 , wherein the 802.11v message comprises a transition management request message sent to the STA indicating a medium access control (MAC) address of the destination interface.
14. The first AP of claim 11 , wherein the one or more first actions and the one or more second actions include sending an announcement message that includes instructions to direct the STA to the destination interface, wherein directing includes instructing each CSD running on each of the plurality of APs, except for a CSD associated with the destination interface, to remove an SSID of any beacons associated with the current interface.
15. The first AP of claim 14 , wherein the processor and radio are configured to, upon determining directing the STA was unsuccessful a number of times, place the STA on an untouchable list stored by the first CSD, and sending a message to the CSD of each of the plurality of APs with instructions to remove the STA from a blacklist of the CSD of each of the plurality of 802.11 APs.
16. The first AP of claim 15 , wherein the processor and radio are configured to acquire capability information of the STA by recording past connections with the STA, observing probe requests, and receiving any announcement messages from the CSD of each of the plurality of APs.
17. The first AP of claim 11 , wherein the processor and radio are configured to update the list of metrics based on monitoring performed by the first CSD and received announcement messages.
18. The first AP of claim 11 , wherein the cost of the current interface is calculated based on a signal strength of the STA relative to the current interface, and an end-to-end cost of a path from the current interface to a root-AP of the mesh network.
19. The first AP of claim 11 , wherein:
the processor and radio are configured to blacklist the STA on the current interface to steer the STA based on the fall out risk cost ratio; and
the processor and radio are configured to send an announcement message to the plurality of CSDs running on respective APs of each of the plurality of APs with instructions to guide the STA to the destination interface based on the fall out risk cost ratio.
20. The AP of claim 11 , wherein either the one or more first actions and one or more second actions are further dependent upon one or more conditions comprising:
a condition that the destination interface is directly connected to the dynamic host configuration protocol server located on the root AP of the mesh network;
a condition that an RSSI of the destination interface is greater than a first threshold;
a condition that the RSSI of the destination interface is less than a first threshold but greater than a second threshold; or
a condition that an RSSI of the destination interface is less than a second threshold.