Remote wireless adapter

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for connecting a private network to the Internet through a remote wireless adapter. According to one embodiment, a remote wireless adapter sets up a tunnel with a network security device through a local area network (LAN) adapter of the remote wireless adapter and sets up a wide area network (WAN) connection through a wireless modem which is connected to the wireless adapter. The remote wireless adapter receives an outgoing data packet sent by the network security device through the tunnel and writes the outgoing data packet to the WAN connection. The remote wireless adapter also receives an incoming data packet through the WAN connection and forwards the incoming data packet to the network security device through the tunnel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 establishing a tunnel between a remote wireless adapter that includes a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client and a network security device that includes a DHCP server by obtaining, by the remote wireless adapter, an Internet Protocol (IP) address from the DHCP server;   setting up a wide area network (WAN) connection, by the remote wireless adapter, through a wireless modem associated with the remote wireless adapter;   receiving, by the remote wireless adapter, via the tunnel an outgoing data packet sent by the network security device;   transmitting, by the remote wireless adapter, the outgoing data packet via the WAN connection;   receiving, by the remote wireless adapter, an incoming data packet through the WAN connection; and   sending, by the remote wireless adapter, the incoming data packet to the network security device through the tunnel.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, by the remote wireless adapter, a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) request;   receiving, by the remote wireless adapter, DHCP configuration parameters; and   configuring a LAN adapter of the remote wireless adapter based on the DHCP configuration parameters.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising statically configuring the LAN adapter of the remote wireless adapter based on a set of predetermined configuration parameters configured by a manufacturer of the remote wireless adapter. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tunnel comprises a Control And Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) communication tunnel. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tunnel comprises a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) tunnel. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tunnel comprises a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) tunnel. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 sending, by the remote wireless adapter, a CAPWAP discovery request to the network security device;   receiving, by the remote wireless adapter, a CAPWAP discovery response from the network security device;   sending, by the remote wireless adapter, a CAPWAP authentication request to the network security device;   receiving, by the remote wireless adapter, a CAPWAP authentication response from the network security device;   sending, by the remote wireless adapter, a CAPWAP join request to the network security device;   receiving, by the remote wireless adapter, a CAPWAP join response from the network security device;   exchanging, by the remote wireless adapter, configuration information with the network security device; and   configuring the remote wireless adapter and the wireless modem based on configuration information received from the network security device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 decrypting the outgoing data packet before transmitting the outgoing data packet via the WAN connection based on a decryption algorithm agreed on between the network security device and the remote wireless adapter; and   encrypting the incoming data packet before forwarding the incoming data packet to the tunnel based on an encryption algorithm agreed on between the network security device and the remote wireless adapter.   
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium embodying a set of instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a remote wireless adapter, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
 establishing a tunnel between the remote wireless adapter that includes a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client and a network security device that includes a DHCP server by obtaining an Internet Protocol (IP) address from the DHCP server;   setting up a wide area network (WAN) connection through a wireless modem associated with the remote wireless adapter;   receiving via the tunnel an outgoing data packet sent by the network security device;   transmitting the outgoing data packet via the WAN connection;   receiving an incoming data packet through the WAN connection; and   sending the incoming data packet to the network security device through the tunnel.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
 sending a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) request to the DHCP server;   receiving DHCP configuration parameters from the DHCP server; and   configuring a LAN adapter of the remote wireless adapter based on the received DHCP configuration parameters.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises statically configuring the LAN adapter of the remote wireless adapter based on a set of predetermined configuration parameters configured by a manufacturer of the remote wireless adapter. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the tunnel comprises a Control And Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) communication tunnel. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the tunnel comprises a Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) tunnel. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the tunnel comprises a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) tunnel. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:
 sending a CAPWAP discovery request to the network security device;   receiving a CAPWAP discovery response from the network security device;   sending a CAPWAP authentication request to the network security device;   receiving a CAPWAP authentication response from the network security device;   sending, by the remote wireless adapter, a CAPWAP join request to the network security device;   receiving a CAPWAP join response from the network security device;   exchanging configuration information with the network security device; and   configuring the remote wireless adapter and the wireless modem based on configuration information received from the network security device.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
 decrypting the outgoing data packet before transmitting the outgoing data packet via the WAN connection based on a decryption algorithm agreed on between the network security device and the remote wireless adapter; and   encrypting the incoming data packet before sending the incoming data packet through the tunnel based on an encryption algorithm agreed on between the network security device and the remote wireless adapter.