Wireless client device detection and steering on a network with multiple access points

Abstract

A method for automatic steering of client devices accessing a network to a different access point on the network is provided. A network controller of the network device automatically identifies a pre-determined type of electronic client device gaining access to the network and automatically designates the client device as non-steerable when identified as the predetermined type of electronic client device. Thus, when the network controller selects a client device for being steered to a different access point of the network during a steering event, client devices designated as non-steerable by the network controller are prevented from being steered and only client devices that are not designated as non-steerable are available as candidates to be steered. A network device is also provided.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A network controller for assigning an electronic client device of a wireless local area network (WLAN) to a no-steer list, the network controller comprising:
 a memory storing a program of instructions; and   a processor configured to execute the instructions to:
 assign the electronic client device which is detected as being non-steerable to the no-steer list; and 
 prevent the non-steerable electronic client device from being assigned to a list of candidate electronic client devices that are available for auto-steering. 
   
     
     
         22 . The network controller according to  claim 21 , wherein the processor of the network controller is further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:
 perform a steering trigger and target station selection operation to generate a list of candidate electronic client devices that are available for auto-steering; and   select a candidate electronic client device from the list of candidate electronic client devices to be auto-steered based on the steering trigger and the target station selection operation.   
     
     
         23 . The network controller according to  claim 21 , wherein the processor of the network controller is further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:
 perform deep packet inspection (DPI) of traffic from the at least one electronic client device to obtain a device identification category of the at least one electronic client device that identifies the at least one electronic client device as a stationary low-bandwidth client device, wherein the device identification category includes at least one of device vendor, operating system (OS), class of device, name of device, and type of device.   
     
     
         24 . The network controller according to  claim 21 , wherein the processor of the network controller is further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:
 obtain information about the electronic client device during a Wi-Fi protected setup (WPS) pairing operation with the WLAN, and comparing the information about the electronic client device to a stored database to determine whether the electronic client device is a stationary low-bandwidth client device, wherein the information about the electronic client device includes at least one of device manufacturer, model number of device, and model name of device;   determine that the electronic client device is stationary relative to an access point of a plurality of access points in response to a variation of received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the electronic client device to the access point over a predetermined period of time being less than a threshold RSSI variation value; and   determine that at least one of a maximum average bandwidth usage and a peak bandwidth usage of the electronic client device over the predetermined period of time is below a threshold bandwidth usage value.   
     
     
         25 . The network controller according to  claim 21 , wherein the processor of the network controller is further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:
 detect a steering event;   perform a steering trigger and a target station selection operation, wherein the steering event may include at least one of:
 a link quality event, in response to detecting a candidate electronic client device having a link quality to an access point of a plurality of access points that is below a threshold link quality value, 
 a channel utilization event, in response to detecting the access point having a channel utilization that is greater than a threshold channel utilization value, 
 a backhaul link utilization event, in response to detecting the access point having a backhaul link utilization that is greater than a threshold backhaul link utilization value, and 
 a proactive steering event, wherein the candidate electronic client device is steered from the access point that has an associated station count that is greater than a threshold station count value to a candidate access point of the plurality of access points that has an associated station count that is less than the threshold station count value, 
   wherein the electronic client device in the no-steer list is not subjected to a link quality check, a channel utilization check, a backhaul link utilization check, or a proactive steering check.   
     
     
         26 . The network controller according to  claim 21 , wherein the processor of the network controller is further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:
 automatically adjust station count limits of one or more access points based on a number of the non-steerable electronic client devices in the no-steer list that are associated with each access point, respectively; and   in response to detecting a steering event,
 perform a candidate access point determination operation to generate a prioritized list of candidate access points with adjusted associated station count limits to which one or more candidate electronic client devices may be auto-steered; and 
 select a candidate access point from the prioritized list of candidate access points to which the selected candidate electronic client device is auto-steered based on the candidate access point determination operation, 
   wherein at least one or more access points of the one or more access points having a number of electronic client devices associated therewith that is above the adjusted station count limits are excluded from the candidate access point determination operation, such that the at least one or more access points exceeding the adjusted station count limits are removed from consideration when generating the prioritized list of candidate access points to which the candidate electronic client devices may be auto-steered.   
     
     
         27 . The network controller according to  claim 21 , wherein the processor of the network controller is further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:
 block the electronic client device that is non-steerable from being subsequently automatically auto-steered.   
     
     
         28 . A method of a network controller for assigning an electronic client device of a wireless local area network (WLAN) to a no-steer list, the method comprising:
 assigning the electronic client device which is detected as being non-steerable to the no-steer list; and   preventing the non-steerable electronic client device from being assigned to a list of candidate electronic client devices that are available for auto-steering.   
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , further comprising:
 performing a steering trigger and target station selection operation to generate a list of candidate electronic client devices that are available for auto-steering; and   selecting a candidate electronic client device from the list of candidate electronic client devices to be auto-steered based on the steering trigger and the target station selection operation.   
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 28 , further comprising:
 performing deep packet inspection (DPI) of traffic from the at least one electronic client device to obtain a device identification category of the at least one electronic client device that identifies the at least one electronic client device as a stationary low-bandwidth client device, wherein the device identification category includes at least one of device vendor, operating system (OS), class of device, name of device, and type of device.   
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 28 , further comprising:
 obtaining information about the electronic client device during a Wi-Fi protected setup (WPS) pairing operation with the WLAN, and comparing the information about the electronic client device to a stored database to determine whether the electronic client device is a stationary low-bandwidth client device, wherein the information about the electronic client device includes at least one of device manufacturer, model number of device, and model name of device;   determining that the electronic client device is stationary relative to an access point of a plurality of access points in response to a variation of received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the electronic client device to the access point over a predetermined period of time being less than a threshold RSSI variation value; and   determining that at least one of a maximum average bandwidth usage and a peak bandwidth usage of the electronic client device over the predetermined period of time is below a threshold bandwidth usage value.   
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 28 , further comprising:
 detecting a steering event;   performing a steering trigger and a target station selection operation, wherein the steering event may include at least one of:
 a link quality event, in response to detecting a candidate electronic client device having a link quality to an access point of a plurality of access points that is below a threshold link quality value, 
 a channel utilization event, in response to detecting the access point having a channel utilization that is greater than a threshold channel utilization value, 
 a backhaul link utilization event, in response to detecting the access point having a backhaul link utilization that is greater than a threshold backhaul link utilization value, and 
 a proactive steering event, wherein the candidate electronic client device is steered from the access point that has an associated station count that is greater than a threshold station count value to a candidate access point of the plurality of access points that has an associated station count that is less than the threshold station count value, 
   wherein the electronic client device in the no-steer list is not subjected to a link quality check, a channel utilization check, a backhaul link utilization check, or a proactive steering check.   
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 28 , further comprising:
 automatically adjusting station count limits of one or more access points based on a number of the non-steerable electronic client devices in the no-steer list that are associated with each access point, respectively; and   in response to detecting a steering event,
 perform a candidate access point determination operation to generate a prioritized list of candidate access points with adjusted associated station count limits to which one or more candidate electronic client devices may be auto-steered; and 
 select a candidate access point from the prioritized list of candidate access points to which the selected candidate electronic client device is auto-steered based on the candidate access point determination operation, 
   wherein at least one or more access points of the one or more access points having a number of electronic client devices associated therewith that is above the adjusted station count limits are excluded from the candidate access point determination operation, such that the at least one or more access points exceeding the adjusted station count limits are removed from consideration when generating the prioritized list of candidate access points to which the candidate electronic client devices may be auto-steered.   
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 28 , further comprising:
 blocking the electronic client device that is non-steerable from being subsequently automatically auto-steered.   
     
     
         35 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program of instructions for assigning an electronic client device of a wireless local area network (WLAN), the instructions when executed by a processor of the network controller causing the network controller to perform operations comprising:
 assigning the electronic client device which is detected as being non-steerable to the no-steer list; and   preventing the non-steerable electronic client device from being assigned to a list of candidate electronic client devices that are available for auto-steering.   
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 35 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further causing the network controller to perform operations comprising:
 performing a steering trigger and target station selection operation to generate a list of candidate electronic client devices that are available for auto-steering; and   selecting a candidate electronic client device from the list of candidate electronic client devices to be auto-steered based on the steering trigger and the target station selection operation.   
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 35 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further causing the network controller to perform operations comprising at least one of:
 performing deep packet inspection (DPI) of traffic from the at least one electronic client device to obtain a device identification category of the at least one electronic client device that identifies the at least one electronic client device as a stationary low-bandwidth client device, wherein the device identification category includes at least one of device vendor, operating system (OS), class of device, name of device, and type of device; and   blocking the electronic client device that is non-steerable from being subsequently automatically auto-steered.   
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 35 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further causing the network controller to perform operations comprising:
 obtaining information about the electronic client device during a Wi-Fi protected setup (WPS) pairing operation with the WLAN, and comparing the information about the electronic client device to a stored database to determine whether the electronic client device is a stationary low-bandwidth client device, wherein the information about the electronic client device includes at least one of device manufacturer, model number of device, and model name of device;   determining that the electronic client device is stationary relative to an access point of a plurality of access points in response to a variation of received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the electronic client device to the access point over a predetermined period of time being less than a threshold RSSI variation value; and   determining that at least one of a maximum average bandwidth usage and a peak bandwidth usage of the electronic client device over the predetermined period of time is below a threshold bandwidth usage value.   
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 35 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further causing the network controller to perform operations comprising:
 detecting a steering event;   performing a steering trigger and a target station selection operation, wherein the steering event may include at least one of:
 a link quality event, in response to detecting a candidate electronic client device having a link quality to an access point of a plurality of access points that is below a threshold link quality value, 
 a channel utilization event, in response to detecting the access point having a channel utilization that is greater than a threshold channel utilization value, 
 a backhaul link utilization event, in response to detecting the access point having a backhaul link utilization that is greater than a threshold backhaul link utilization value, and 
 a proactive steering event, wherein the candidate electronic client device is steered from the access point that has an associated station count that is greater than a threshold station count value to a candidate access point of the plurality of access points that has an associated station count that is less than the threshold station count value, 
   wherein the electronic client device in the no-steer list is not subjected to a link quality check, a channel utilization check, a backhaul link utilization check, or a proactive steering check.   
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 35 , wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further causing the network controller to perform operations comprising:
 automatically adjusting station count limits of one or more access points based on a number of the non-steerable electronic client devices in the no-steer list that are associated with each access point, respectively; and   in response to detecting a steering event,
 perform a candidate access point determination operation to generate a prioritized list of candidate access points with adjusted associated station count limits to which one or more candidate electronic client devices may be auto-steered; and 
 select a candidate access point from the prioritized list of candidate access points to which the selected candidate electronic client device is auto-steered based on the candidate access point determination operation, 
   wherein at least one or more access points of the one or more access points having a number of electronic client devices associated therewith that is above the adjusted station count limits are excluded from the candidate access point determination operation, such that the at least one or more access points exceeding the adjusted station count limits are removed from consideration when generating the prioritized list of candidate access points to which the candidate electronic client devices may be auto-steered.