Identifying Misconfigured Profiles for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs)

Abstract

In a wireless device, active scanning for a particular wireless network name is initiated during passive scanning for a wireless network that matches a profile stored in a wireless local area network controller, the profile including the particular wireless network name. Following receipt of a response from the active scanning that indicates discovery of one or more access points with the particular wireless network name, the profile is identified as misconfigured if the passive scanning fails to result in association.

1 . A method in a wireless device, the method comprising:
 initiating active scanning for a particular wireless network name during passive scanning for a wireless network that matches a profile stored in a wireless local area network controller so that said active scanning and said passive scanning are performed concurrently at some point in time, said profile including said particular wireless network name; and   following receipt of a response from said active scanning that indicates discovery of one or more access points with said particular wireless network name, identifying that said profile is misconfigured if said passive scanning fails to result in association.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein active scanning for said particular wireless network name includes transmitting one or more probe requests, each of said one or more probe requests transmitted on a different communication channel. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in the event that said wireless device has identified that said profile is misconfigured, posting an error indicating an invalid configuration in said profile.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in the event that said wireless device has identified that said profile is misconfigured, automatically omitting said profile from further scans until parameters of said profile have been edited.   
     
     
         5 . A wireless device comprising:
 a memory to store profiles of one or more wireless networks;   a wireless local area network controller that supports passive scanning for wireless networks matching a profile and that supports active scanning for wireless networks having a wireless network name; and   a processor,   wherein said memory is to store executable code which, when executed by said processor, initiates active scanning by said controller for a particular wireless network name during passive scanning by said controller for a wireless network that matches a profile including said particular wireless network name so that said active scanning and said passive scanning are performed concurrently at some point in time, and   wherein said code, when executed by said processor, is, upon receipt of a response from said active scanning that indicates discovery of one or more access points with said particular wireless network name, to identify that said profile is misconfigured if said passive scanning fails to result in association.   
     
     
         6 . The wireless device of  claim 5 , wherein said code, when executed by said processor, initiates active scanning by said controller for a different wireless network name during passive scanning by said controller for a wireless network that matches a different profile including said different wireless network name so that said active scanning and said passive scanning are performed concurrently at another point in time. 
     
     
         7 . The wireless device of  claim 5 , wherein active scanning by said controller for said particular wireless network name includes transmitting one or more probe requests, each of said one or more probe requests transmitted on a different communication channel. 
     
     
         8 . The wireless device of  claim 5 , wherein said code, when executed by said processor, causes said wireless device, in the event that said wireless device has identified that said profile is misconfigured, to post an error indicating an invalid configuration in said profile. 
     
     
         9 . The wireless device of  claim 5 , wherein said code, when executed by said processor, causes said wireless device, in the event that said wireless device has identified that said profile is misconfigured, to automatically omit said profile from further scans until parameters of said profile have been edited.