Patent ID: 11533244

Abstract:
Various embodiments comprise systems, methods, mechanisms, and apparatus by which a network operator such as a wireline internet service provider (ISP) may determine that an endpoint device has one or more other wireless devices tethered to it, such as a mobile handset providing dual-Wi-Fi ad-hoc tethering (i.e., connected to a high-speed Wi-Fi network while simultaneously providing Wi-Fi connections to wireless devices tethered to the mobile handset), by monitoring Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/IP traffic flow associated with endpoint devices (i.e., to or through endpoint devices), characterizing these traffic flows in accordance with one or more error indicative criteria to establish thereby a baseline profile of error indicative criteria that is indicative of a TCP/IP traffic flow associated with an endpoint device that is not associated with tethering (e.g., a rate or number of duplicate ACKs), wherein deviations from the baseline profile of error indicative criteria beyond a threshold are indicative of a TCP/IP traffic flow associated with an endpoint device that is associated with tethering.