Patent ID: 7971251
Filing Date: 2011-06-28
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for distributed monitoring of a wireless network using a plurality of wireless client devices in communication with the wireless network to gather wireless data from the wireless network, the method comprising the steps of: loading a software agent on one or more of a plurality of wireless client devices in communication with a wireless network, wherein the software agent is configured to utilize the one or more of the plurality of wireless devices as distributed monitoring devices in the wireless network, and wherein the plurality of wireless client devices comprise authorized wireless devices on the wireless network comprising any of desktop computers, notebook computers, storage devices, printers, or processor devices equipped with a wireless radio; directing the one or more of the plurality of wireless client devices to monitor the wireless network and collect data corresponding to wireless traffic from devices transmitting on the wireless network at a predetermined range of frequencies, and to store the data for analysis, wherein the one or more of the plurality of wireless clients are configured to analyze the stored data locally, and wherein the wireless traffic comprising wireless local area network frames; receiving collected analyzed data from the plurality of wireless client devices at one or more servers, the servers being configured to accumulate the collected data; storing the received data for analysis and correlation; and analyzing the stored data received from the plurality of wireless client devices so as to identify traffic corresponding to anomalous wireless activity; wherein the software agent directs the one or more of the plurality of wireless client devices to locally monitor, locally analyze, and transmit the stored data to the one or more servers over the wireless network based upon predetermined or programmed conditions associated with the one or more of the plurality of wireless client devices.