Patent ID: 9131372
Filing Date: 2015-09-08
Classification: H04L,H04W,Y04S

Abstract:
1. A method for providing a wireless local area network in which communication devices comprising stationary communication devices as well as mobile communication devices are connected in a form of a mesh as a subnet, said subnet being connected to an infrastructure network and adapted to exchange authentication messages with at least one authentication communication device arranged in the infrastructure network that performs an authentication function, the method comprising: attempting to establish a first link from a first communication device of the communication devices to a second communication device of the communication devices, at least one of the first and second communication devices having a connection to at least one authentication communication device of the at least one authentication communication device; testing at least one property correlating to connections that the first and second communication devices have to any of the at least one authentication communication device for fulfillment of at least one criterion for assigning an authenticator role to be assigned as part of authentication to one of the first communication device and the second communication device by a process comprising: the first communication device comparing the at least one authentication communication device to which the second communication device is connected with the at least one authentication communication device connected to the first communication device, the at least one authentication communication device to which the second communication device is connected being made known to the first communication device prior to the comparing of the at least one authentication communication device performed by the first communication device via an announcement message that is sent to make the at least one authentication communication device to which the second communication device is connected known to the first communication device prior to the comparing of the at least one authentication communication device performed by the first communication device; and the second communication device comparing the at least one authentication communication device to which the first communication device is connected to the at least one authentication communication device connected to the second communication device, the at least one authentication communication device to which the first communication device is connected being made known to the second communication device prior to the comparing of the at least one authentication communication device performed by the second communication device via an announcement message that is sent to make the at least one authentication communication device to which the first communication device is connected made known to the second communication device prior to the comparing of the at least one authentication communication device performed by the second communication device.