Loseless roaming via bridging between access ports
In a network comprising a wireless device, a first access point (AP) and a plurality of neighbor APs, a method is provided for reducing the chances of packet loss when the wireless device roams from the first AP to one of the neighbor APs. For example, when the first AP is transmitting a particular packet of a packet stream from to the wireless device, the wireless device begins to move away from the first AP toward at least one of the neighbor APs. The first AP maintains an acknowledgement counter for the particular packet which counts a number of times the particular packet has been transmitted by the first AP without receiving an acknowledgement (ACK) message from the wireless device confirming successful reception of the particular packet from the first AP. The first AP determines whether an ACK message was received for the particular packet, and if not, the first AP determines whether the number of times the particular packet has been sent is equal to a particular number of attempts. If the first AP determines that the number of times is equal to the particular number of attempts, then the first AP forwards the particular packet to the neighbor APs. Any of the neighbor APs which receive the particular packet, can then format the source address field of the particular packet with the MAC address of the first AP, and forward it to the wireless device.
1. In a network comprising a wireless device, a first access point (AP) and a plurality of neighbor APs, a method for lossless roaming comprising:
transmitting a packet of a packet stream from the first AP to the wireless device when the wireless device begins to move away from the first AP toward at least one of the neighbor APs;
determining, at the first AP, whether an acknowledgement (ACK) message was received by the first AP for the packet;
if the first AP has not received the ACK message from the wireless device acknowledging reception of the packet;
forwarding the packet from the first AP to the neighbor APs; and
transmitting the packet from the neighbor APs to all devices within communication range including the wireless device, wherein the first AP and neighbor APs are each configured with a common encryption key.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of forwarding includes receiving the packet at the neighbor APs, and formatting the source address field of the packet with the MAC address of the first AP.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of forwarding the packet from the first AP to the neighbor APs, further comprises:
transmitting a transfer message to the neighbor APs before forwarding the packet to the neighbor APs, wherein the transfer message communicates that AP is forwarding the packet and that the packet is to be sent to wireless device.
4. A method according to claim 1 , the first AP and the neighbor APs are configured as part of a common subnet of a common wireless switch.