Patent ID: 6665269
Filing Date: 2003-12-16
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
A method for capturing data frames transmitted between stations on a selected channel of a plurality of channels in a wireless communications network, said method comprising the steps of:(a) establishing a direct wireless logical connection with the wireless communications network; (b) receiving wirelessly, in real-time, both data frames transmitted in the wireless communications network on said selected channel, and data frames originally transmitted on other ones of said plurality of channels, but appear on said selected channel due to crosstalk resulting from channel overlap; and (c) separating for display the data frames originally transmitted on said selected channel, from those data frames appearing on said selected channel due to crosstalk; wherein step (c) comprises the steps of: analyzing all data frames being transmitted over said wireless communications network to identify the correct channel for stations sending Beacon frames; building a table including MAC addresses and associated channel numbers of said stations transmitting said data frames, respectively, whereby associated frame numbers are used to identify each entry, respectively, in said table; checking for each frame captured on said selected channel its associated MAC address; comparing the MAC address of each frame captured on said selected channel with the corresponding MAC address in said table, to determine if the associated channel in said table to said MAC address corresponds to said selected channel; storing channels that match in a good trace file, for immediate or later display; and storing channels that do not match in a bad trace file, for immediate or later display.