Wireless system and method for interdeployment basic service set (BSS) color and channel optimization
In dense Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) deployments, Access Points (APs) in other Extended Service Sets (ESSs) can be hidden (a first AP does not receive signals from a third AP). However, these APs in other ESSs can still interfere with communications between the third AP and the devices communicating with the first AP. To improve service to that device in that situation, the first AP needs information about the third AP in the first AP's decision making processes. In these situations, a second AP, in contact with the third AP, can share information about the third AP with the first AP so that the first AP can avoid colliding with the third AP.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a first Access Point (AP), of a first Extended Service Set (ESS), and from a second AP of a second ESS, information about a third AP of the second ESS, wherein the information about the third AP, received by the second AP, is included in a Media Access Control (MAC) frame containing Neighbor Discovery (ND) information associated with the third AP;
based on the information about the third AP, determining, by the first AP, a metric associated with the third AP;
based on the metric, conducting, by the first AP, Radio Resource Management (RRM) to account for the third AP;
the first AP comparing the ND information against a list of known neighbor APs; and
if the list of known neighbor APs does not include the third AP, the first AP adding the third AP to the list for channelization and BSS color algorithms.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first AP could not detect a presence of the third AP.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second AP associates with an open service set identifier (SSID) of the first AP to notify the first AP of the third AP and provide information associated with the third AP.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second AP communicates with the first AP using an auxiliary radio.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the information about the third AP is received in a beacon report at the first AP and from the second AP.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the third AP is a cellular base station, wherein the second AP is managed by a same controller that manages the second ESS, and wherein the beacon report also includes 5G license assisted access (LAA) channels or bandwidth information of nearby 5G base stations.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ND information comprises one or more of a device type, a channel number, a bandwidth, a load, a received RSSI, a transmission power, BSS color, a number of spatial reuse opportunities, or protocol support.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metric is an adjusted Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), wherein determining the adjusted RSSI comprises adding the received RSSI to a RSSI determined by the first AP and subtracting a reference RSSI.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the adjusted RSSI is compared to a predetermined threshold, and wherein, if the adjusted RSSI is not above the predetermined threshold, ignoring the third AP in RRM calculations as being too far from the first AP.
10. An access point (AP) comprising:
a radio;
a memory;
a processor in communication with the memory and the radio, the processor operable to conduct a method comprising:
receiving, at a first Access Point (AP) of a first Extended Service Set (ESS), information about a third AP, of a second ESS, through a second AP also of the second ESS, wherein the information about the third AP, received by the second AP, is included in a Media Access Control (MAC) frame containing Neighbor Discovery (ND) information associated with the third AP;
based on the information about the third AP and/or second AP, determining, by the first AP, a metric associated with the third AP;
based on the metric, conducting, by the first AP, Radio Resource Management (RRM) to account for the third AP;
the first AP comparing the ND information against a list of known neighbor APs; and
if the list of known neighbor APs does not include the third AP, the first AP adding the third AP to the list for channelization and BSS color algorithms.
11. The AP of claim 10 , wherein the metric is an adjusted Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), and wherein determining the adjusted RSSI comprises adding a received RSSI to a constant adjustment factor.
12. An extended service set (ESS) comprising:
a first Access Point (AP) operable to:
receive information about a third AP from a second device, wherein both the second device and a third AP are associated with a second ESS, wherein the information about the third AP, received by the second AP, is included in a Media Access Control (MAC) frame containing Neighbor Discovery (ND) information associated with the third AP;
based on the information about the third AP, determining, by the first AP, an adjusted Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) associated with the third AP;
based on the adjusted RSSI, conducting, by the first AP, Radio Resource Management (RRM) to account for the third AP;
the first AP comparing the ND information against a list of known neighbor APs; and
if the list of known neighbor APs does not include the third AP, the first AP adding the third AP to the list for channelization and BSS color algorithms.
13. The ESS of claim 12 , wherein the information about the third AP is encrypted.
14. The ESS of claim 12 , wherein the second device spoofs the first AP to appear as a client to associate with an open Service Set IDentifier (SSID) of the first AP.
15. The ESS of claim 12 , wherein the second device is a sensor or a second AP.
16. The ESS of claim 12 , wherein the ND information comprises one or more of a device type, a channel number, a bandwidth, a load, a received RSSI, a transmission power, a BSS color identifier, a number of spatial reuse opportunities, 5G bandwidth, 5G channels, or protocol support.