In home Wi-Fi channel scanning enhancements
A gateway, for use with a first and a second access point device (APD), scans channels within a spectrum of channels. The gateway includes a delegating component, a communication component, and a load balancing component. The delegating component is operable to instruct each APD to monitor for presence of a signal on any one of a respective first or second set of channels within the spectrum. The communication component is operable to receive from the first APD a channel-in-use signal associated with an in-use channel of the first set of channels; transmit a notification signal to the second APD based on the channel-in-use signal; transmit the instruction to the first APD and the second APD; and receive a communication signal from either APD as a result of the transmission. The load balancing component is operable to determine a communication volume on each of the first set of channels, and to generate an instruction to instruct the first and second APDs to not use the in-use channel.
1. A gateway for use with a first access point device and a second access point device, the gateway comprising:
a delegating component operable to:
delegate the first access point device to monitor for a presence of a first signal on any one of a first set of channels within a spectrum of channels in a radar band; and
delegate the second access point device to monitor for a presence of a second signal on any one of a second set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band,
wherein each of the first set of channels and the second set of channels are different unique subsets of channels that are fewer than a total number of channels to be monitored within the spectrum of channels in the radar band;
a communication component operable to:
receive a first channel-in-use signal from the first access point device, or a second channel-in-use signal from the second access point device; and
transmit a first notification signal to the second access point device in response to receiving the first channel-in-use signal, the first channel-in-use signal being associated with an in-use channel of the first set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band, or a second notification signal to the first access point device in response to receiving the second channel-in-use signal, the second channel-in-use signal being associated with an in-use channel of the second set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band; and
a load balancing component operable to:
determine a communication volume on each of the first set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band and the second set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band; and
generate an instruction to instruct the first access point device and the second access point device to not use the in-use channel of the first set of channels or the second set of channels;
wherein the communication component is further operable to:
transmit the instruction to the first access point device and the second access point device; and
receive a communication signal from one of the first access point device and the second access point device as a result of a transmission of the instruction by the communication component.
2. The gateway of claim 1 , further comprising a reconfiguration component operable to instruct the first access point device and the second access point device to not use a first one of the first set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band in response to receiving the first channel-in-use signal from the first access point device.
3. The gateway of claim 2 , further comprising a monitoring component operable to monitor for a presence of a third signal on any one of a third set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band.
4. The gateway of claim 3 , wherein the communication component is further operable to receive an updated channel-in-use signal from the first access point device and to transmit an updated notification signal to the second access point device based on the updated channel-in-use signal, and
wherein the load balancing component is further operable to determine an updated communication volume on each of the first set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band and the second set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band.
5. The gateway of claim 1 , further comprising a monitoring component operable to monitor for a presence of a third signal on any one of a third set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band.
6. The gateway of claim 5 , wherein the communication component is further operable to receive an updated channel-in-use signal from the first access point device and to transmit an updated notification signal to the second access point device based on the updated channel-in-use signal, and
wherein the load balancing component is further operable to determine an updated communication volume on each of the first set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band and the second set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band.
7. The gateway of claim 5 , wherein the delegating component is further operable to divide the total number of channels to be monitored within the spectrum of channels in the radar band among the gateway, the first access point device, and the second access point device, and
wherein the third set of channels monitored by the monitoring component of the gateway is a different unique subset of the channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band than the first set of channels delegated to the first access point device and the second set of channels delegated to the second access point device.
8. The gateway of claim 1 , wherein the communication component is further operable to receive an updated channel-in-use signal from the first access point device and to transmit an updated notification signal to the second access point device based on the updated channel-in-use signal, and
wherein the load balancing component is further operable to determine an updated communication volume on each of the first set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band and the second set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band.
9. The gateway of claim 1 , wherein the radar band is a radar band of IEEE Standard 802.11h.
10. A method of using a first access point device and a second access point device, the method comprising:
delegating, via a delegating component, the first access point device to monitor for a presence of a first signal on any one of a first set of channels within a spectrum of channels in a radar band, and the second access point device to monitor for a presence of a second signal on any one of a second set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band, wherein each of the first set of channels and the second set of channels are different unique subsets of channels that are fewer than a total number of channels to be monitored within the spectrum of channels in the radar band;
receiving, via a communication component, a first channel-in-use signal from the first access point device, the first channel-in-use signal being associated with an in-use channel of the first set of channels, or a second channel-in-use signal from the second access point device, the second channel-in-use signal being associated with an in-use channel of the second set of channels;
transmitting, via the communication component, a first notification signal to the second access point device in response to receiving the first channel-in-use signal, or a second notification signal to the first access point device in response to receiving the second channel-in-use signal;
determining, via a load balancing component, a communication volume on each of the first set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band and the second set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band;
generating, via the load balancing component, an instruction to instruct the first access point device and the second access point device to not use the in-use channel of the first set of channels or the second set of channels;
transmitting, via the communication component, the instruction to the first access point device and the second access point device; and
receiving, via the communication component, a communication signal from one of the first access point device and the second access point device as a result of the transmitting of the instruction.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising instructing, via a reconfiguration component, the first access point device and the second access point device to not use a first one of the first set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band in response to receiving the first channel-in-use signal from the first access point device.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising monitoring, via a monitoring component, for a presence of a third signal on any one of a third set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving, via the communication component, an updated channel-in-use signal from the first access point device;
transmitting, via the communication component, an updated notification signal to the second access point device based on the updated channel-in-use signal; and
determining, via the load balancing component, an updated communication volume on each of the first set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band and the second set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising monitoring, via a monitoring component, for a presence of a third signal on any one of a third set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving, via the communication component, an updated channel-in-use signal from the first access point device;
transmitting, via the communication component, an updated notification signal to the second access point device based on the updated channel-in-use signal; and
determining, via the load balancing component, an updated communication volume on each of the first set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band and the second set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the delegating, via the delegating component, further includes dividing the total number of channels to be monitored within the spectrum of channels in the radar band among the gateway, the first access point device, and the second access point device, and
wherein the third set of channels monitored by the monitoring component of the gateway is a different unique subset of the channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band than the first set of channels delegated to the first access point device and the second set of channels delegated to the second access point device.
17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, via the communication component, an updated channel-in-use signal from the first access point device;
transmitting, via the communication component, an updated notification signal to the second access point device based on the updated channel-in-use signal; and
determining, via the load balancing component, an updated communication volume on each of the first set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band and the second set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the radar band is a radar band of IEEE Standard 802.11h.
19. A non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to:
delegate, via a delegating component, a first access point device to monitor for a presence of a first signal on any one of a first set of channels within a spectrum of channels in a radar band, and a second access point device to monitor for a presence of a second signal on any one of a second set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band, wherein each of the first set of channels and the second set of channels are different unique subsets of channels that are fewer than a total number of channels to be monitored within the spectrum of channels in the radar band;
receive, via a communication component, a first channel-in-use signal from the first access point device, the first channel-in-use signal being associated with an in-use channel of the first set of channels, or a second channel-in-use signal from the second access point device, the second channel-in-use signal being associated with an in-use channel of the second set of channels;
transmit, via the communication component, a first notification signal to the second access point device in response to receiving the first channel-in-use signal, or a second notification signal to the first access point device in response to receiving the second channel-in-use signal;
determine, via a load balancing component, a communication volume on each of the first set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band and the second set of channels within the spectrum of channels in the radar band;
generate, via the load balancing component, an instruction to instruct the first access point device and the second access point device to not use the in-use channel of the first set of channels or the second set of channels;
transmit, via the communication component, the instruction to the first access point device and the second access point device; and
receive, via the communication component, a communication signal from one of the first access point device and the second access point device as a result of the transmitting of the instruction.
20. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the radar band is a radar band of IEEE Standard 802.11h.