Patent ID: 7823199

Claim:
In a system comprising one or more network switches that communicate with a network manager through a network using a standard network protocol, the one or more switches having a plurality of ports connected to a plurality of authorized wireless edge devices that permit a plurality of mobile, client stations to access the network over one or more wireless channels, and the network manager running application software that allows a network administrator to configure the ports of the one or more switches and the plurality of authorized wireless edge devices to facilitate communication over the network, a system for preventing access intrusion to the network by an unauthorized wireless edge device connected to or attempting to connect to one of the ports comprising: the one or more switches and the plurality of authorized wireless edge devices configured, by running intrusion detection application software, to (1) collect information transmitted over the one or more wireless channels, (2) record such information in one or more statistics databases resident on the one or more switches, and (3) periodically update such information as mobile, client stations roam throughout the network; the network manager configured, by running network-wide analysis application software, to (1) periodically query, using the standard network protocol, the one or more statistics databases resident on the one or more switches for collected information transmitted over the one or more wireless channels, and (2) record the queried information in a network-wide database resident on the network manager; the network manager further configured, by running the network-wide analysis application software, to apply algorithms to the information stored in the network-wide database resident on the network manager to detect access intrusion to the network by the unauthorized wireless edge device connected to one of the ports; and the network manager further configured to, when access intrusion by the unauthorized wireless edge device is so detected, (1) locate the port to which the unauthorized wireless edge device is connected or attempting to connect, and (2) transmit a command to the switch containing the port, using the standard network protocol, directing the switch to automatically shut down the port, thereby denying network access to the unauthorized wireless edge device, even when the unauthorized wireless edge device does not adhere to IEEE 802.11 protocol conventions.