Abstract:
As part of a wireless access point configuration process, a computer network is probed and each previously unprogrammed wireless access point on the network is programmed by transmitting wireless network configuration parameters thereto using a software agent residing on a node of the computer network.

Description:
The present application is related to, incorporates by reference and claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/476,779, entitled “Automated Discovery of Access Points in Wireless Computer Networks”, filed Jun. 5, 2003. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to schemes for probing a computer network to discover attached access points to be configured as part of a wireless LAN. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Wireless local area networks (WLANs), such as those based on the IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g standards, are becoming ubiquitous in business, government and small office/home office (SOHO) settings because of the freedom afforded by and the decreasing costs of the underlying technology. 
     Before discussing the 802.1x access point configuration in detail, it is helpful to review some basics of WLANs in general. Unlike their wired LAN counterparts, WLANs provide for communication among network elements through wireless transmissions (e.g., radio transmissions), as opposed to wired, physical connections. Unfortunately, implementing an 802.1x solution for a WLAN is not an easy task. For example, the required network infrastructure is complex (potentially involving multiple authentication servers for use in cases of equipment failures) and expensive. 
     Installing an AP to create a new WLAN or even within an existing WLAN can be a time consuming process, especially for an unsophisticated user. Usually, the user must step though several screens of a graphical user interface in order to set various security and/or authentication parameters. Consequently, deployment of 802.1x compliant WLANs has not yet become widespread at an enterprise level and is virtually nonexistent at a SOHO level. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Methods and apparatus for the automated discovery of access points in wireless computer networks are described. In one embodiment, as part of a wireless access point configuration process, a computer network is probed and each previously unprogrammed wireless access point on the network is programmed by transmitting wireless network configuration parameters thereto using a software agent residing on a node of the computer network. In one particular embodiment the software agent periodically probes the network for new access points by sending messages to known communication ports of the new access points. Upon discovery, each new access point provides the software agent with an associated configuration interface, through which the new access point can be programmed using the configuration parameters. The network parameters may include some or all of static WEP keys, SSIDs, fallback keys, and MAC address filter lists. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained from the following detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary network including a WLAN according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an automated access point discovery process, according to one embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary computer architecture, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Described herein are methods and apparatus for probing a computer network to discover attached access points to be configured as part of a wireless LAN. 
     In the following discussion, much of the information is described in terms of processes and procedures to be implemented by one or more computer systems executing appropriate algorithms which are embodiments of the present invention. An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared and otherwise manipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers or the like. It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise, it will be appreciated that throughout the description of the present invention, use of terms such as “processing”, “computing”, “calculating”, “determining”, “displaying” or the like, refer to the actions and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system&#39;s registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system&#39;s memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices. Moreover, as used herein, the term table can refer to any data structure. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary network  10  including a WLAN, according to one embodiment of the present invention. In 802.11-based WLANs, clients or “stations”  12  (i.e., computers with wireless network interface cards (NICs)) interact with other network devices (printers, file servers, other clients, etc.) through access points (APs)  14 , which act as bridges between the wired network  16  and wireless network  20 . In some cases, wireless clients  12  may communicate directly with one another, without the use of APs. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an automated access point discovery process  200 , according to one embodiment of the present invention. To alleviate the burden of network configuration with an access point  14  in a wireless computer network  20 , the present invention provides for automated discovery and set up of an AP  14 . This is especially useful where a user wishes to add a new AP  14  to an existing network  10 , but may even be used where no WLAN  20  has been installed or a new WLAN  20  is being set up in a network that has existing WLANs  20 . Such automated discovery involves the use of a software agent installed on an existing client  12  or server  18  of a LAN  16  and which periodically tests the network  16  to determine if one or more APs  14  are present. (block  210 ) Such probing may be done by having the agent attempt to connect to the APs  14  using known HTTP, SNMP and/or Telnet ports (e.g., published by the AP&#39;s manufacturer) and seeing if any response is provided.  FIG. 2  shows one example of such a procedure. 
     More specifically, existing AP vendors construct their equipment so as to provide configuration interfaces for the APs. Such interfaces are generally accessed through an HTML page at a specified IP address. Provided such IP address has not been altered by the user (in which case the new IP address would need to be provided to the software agent), the agent can periodically test the known IP addresses of different types of APs  14  to see whether or not a configuration interface is returned. (block  220 ) Alternatively, or in addition, one could simply test all local IF addresses, and use the response returned to identify what kind of AP  14  is involved. In such cases it would not matter whether or not a user had altered the AP&#39;s IP address so long as the AP  14  is accessible on the local network  16 . 
     If a configuration interface is so returned by an AP  14 , the agent can proceed to program the AP  14  with various parameters, such as static WEP keys, SSIDs, fallback keys, MAC address filter lists, fine grained access control parameters, and so on. (block  230 ) This automated configuration may be performed in response to a user authorization or simply may be done without any user activity whatsoever. The agent essentially acts as a source of information for the AP&#39;s  14  existing user interface in much the same way as human users are required to do for conventional WLAN installations. By removing the need for human intervention, however, the present invention simplifies and speeds up the AP installation process. 
     Having briefly described an exemplary network architecture  10  which employs various elements of the present invention, a computer system  300  representing exemplary clients  12 , access points  14 , and/or servers (e.g., servers  18 ), in which elements of the present invention may be implemented will now be described with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
     One embodiment of computer system  300  comprises a system bus  320  for communicating information, and a processor  310  coupled to bus  320  for processing information. Computer system  300  further comprises a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device  325  (referred to herein as main memory), coupled to bus  320  for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor  310 . Main memory  325  also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by processor  310 . Computer system  300  also may include a read only memory (ROM) and/or other static storage device  326  coupled to bus  320  for storing static information and instructions used by processor  310 . 
     A data storage device  327  such as a magnetic disk or optical disc and its corresponding drive may also be coupled to computer system  300  for storing information and instructions. Computer system  300  can also be coupled to a second I/O bus  350  via an I/O interface  330 . Multiple I/O devices may be coupled to I/O bus  350 , including a display device  343 , an input device (e.g., an alphanumeric input device  342  and/or a cursor control device  341 ). For example, Internet information may be presented to the user on the display device  343 . 
     The communication device  340  is for accessing other computers (servers or clients) via a network  10 ,  16 ,  20 . The communication device  340  may comprise a modem, a network interface card, a BlueTooth transceiver, an 802.1x transceiver, or other well-known interface device, such as those used for coupling to Ethernet, token ring, wireless or other types of networks. 
     Thus, methods and apparatus for the automated discovery of access points in wireless computer networks have been described. It will be appreciated that the embodiments described above are cited by way of example, and that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove, as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not disclosed in the prior art.