Centralized wireless lan load balancing

Abstract

A centralized wireless LAN load balancing mechanism is described herein. In one embodiment, in response to a request for entering a wireless network from a wireless station and forwarded from multiple access points (APs) of the wireless network, a network access device coupled to the multiple APs determines a load for each of the APs. The network access device then selects one of the APs based on the determined loads of the APs and instructs the selected AP to associate with the wireless station. The network access device further instructs the remaining APs to reject the request. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for load balancing a wireless area network, the method comprising:
 receiving load data from a plurality of access points, each of the access points having received an entry request from a wireless client; and   executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor:
 determines a weighted load value for each access point based on the received load data, wherein determining the weighted load value includes comparing a mean received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the access point with the wireless client taken into account to the maximum possible RSSI for the access point, 
 compares the weighted load values of the access points to one another, and 
 selects one access point from among the plurality of access points to accept the entry request from the wireless client based on the comparison of the weighted load values. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the load data for each access point is received at a network access device communicatively coupled to the access points. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the load data for each access point indicates a quantity of wireless clients connected to the access point. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the load data for each access point indicates an RSSI between the access point and the wireless client. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the load data for each access point indicates a frame error rate (FER) associated with the access point. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein determining the weighted load value for each access point is further based on the FER associated with the access point. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein further execution of the processor instructs each of the non-selected access points to affirmatively reject the entry request from the wireless client. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein rejecting the entry request includes sending a probe response. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the probe request includes one or more altered bits. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more altered bits include an inverted privacy bit. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a computer program executable by a processor to perform a method for load balancing a wireless area network, the method comprising:
 receiving load data from a plurality of access points, each of the access points having received an entry request from a wireless client;   determining a weighted load value for each access point based on the received load data, wherein determining the weighted load value includes comparing a mean received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the access point with the wireless client taken into account to the maximum possible RSSI for the access point;   comparing the weighted load values of the access points to one another; and   selecting one access point from among the plurality of access points to accept the entry request from the wireless client based on the comparison of the weighted load values.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the load data for each access point is received at a network access device communicatively coupled to the access points. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the load data for each access point indicates a quantity of wireless clients connected to the access point. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the load data for each access point indicates an RSSI between the access point and the wireless client. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the load data for each access point indicates a frame error rate (FER) associated with the access point. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein determining the weighted load value for each access point is further based on the FER associated with the access point. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises instructing each of the non-selected access points to affirmatively reject the entry request from the wireless client. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein rejecting the entry request includes sending a probe response. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the probe request includes one or more altered bits. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more altered bits include an inverted privacy bit.