초록 ▼

A process of controlling a flow of data in a wireless network providing wireless access to the wireless network by wireless devices is disclosed. Data is received from a wireless device by a network device, through one access point of a plurality of access points in communication with the network de

A process of controlling a flow of data in a wireless network providing wireless access to the wireless network by wireless devices is disclosed. Data is received from a wireless device by a network device, through one access point of a plurality of access points in communication with the network device, indicating a client identifier for the wireless device. The client identifier is forwarded to an authentication server and the network device mediated authentication of the wireless device with the authentication server. Thereafter, data packets received from portions of the wireless network and from the plurality of access points are evaluated and the received data packets are passed to portions of the wireless network and to the plurality of access points, based on the evaluation of the received data packets. In addition, the network device periodically polls for a status of the wireless device from the access point.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A process of controlling a flow of data in a wireless network providing wireless access to the wireless network by wireless devices, said process comprising: receiving data from a wireless device by a network device, through one access point of a plurality of access points in

What is claimed is: 1. A process of controlling a flow of data in a wireless network providing wireless access to the wireless network by wireless devices, said process comprising: receiving data from a wireless device by a network device, through one access point of a plurality of access points in communication with the network device, indicating a client identifier for the wireless device; forwarding the client identifier to an authentication server; mediating authentication of the wireless device with the authentication server; evaluating data packets received from portions of the wireless network and from the plurality of access points; and passing the received data packets to portions of the wireless network and to the plurality of access points, based on the evaluation of the received data packets; wherein the network device periodically polls for a status of the wireless device from the access point, and wherein the access points and the network device exchange information relating to configuration, status, and client session statuses of the access points through a messaging protocol. 2. A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of evaluating data packets comprises filtering of the received data packets, such that filtered data packets can be dropped to limit an effectiveness of a denial of service attack. 3. A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of mediating authentication of the wireless device comprises restricting access to the wireless network by the wireless device based on a category of user determined from the client identifier. 4. A process as recited in claim 3, wherein said step of restricting access to the wireless network is based on a type of device to which the wireless device belongs. 5. A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of mediating authentication of the wireless device comprises restricting access to the wireless network by the wireless device based on an hour and a day of the week in which the data was received from the wireless device. 6. A process as recited in claim 5, wherein said step of restricting access to the wireless network is based on at least one of a type of device to which the wireless device belongs and on a category of user determined from the client identifier. 7. A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of mediating authentication of the wireless device comprises restricting access to the wireless network by the wireless device based on a physical location of the one access point of a plurality of access points. 8. A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of mediating authentication of the wireless device comprises restricting access to the wireless network by the wireless device based on a type of an application, running on the wireless device, seeking network access for the wireless device. 9. A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of passing the received data packets comprises forwarding updates to software and configurations of the plurality of access points to the plurality of access points from a single site on the wireless network through a single update. 10. A process as recited in claim 1, wherein coverage areas for at least two of the plurality of access points overlap and the process further comprises: monitoring usage by wireless devices of the at least two of the plurality of access points; and prompting the at least two of the plurality of access points to change the usage by the wireless devices such that a load carried by the at least two of the plurality of access points is approximately balanced. 11. A process as recited in claim 10, wherein load carried by the at least two of the plurality of access points is determined by at least one of a number of wireless devices using the at least two of the plurality of access points, a number of packets transmitted and received by the at least two of the plurality of access points and an average bandwidth carried by the at least two of the plurality of access points. 12. A process as recited in claim 10, wherein load carried by the at least two of the plurality of access points is determined by at least one of priorities of packets recently transmitted and received by the at least two of the plurality of access points, a type of application running on the wireless devices and communicating with the at least two of the plurality of access points and a signal strength provided to the wireless devices provided by the at least two of the plurality of access points. 13. A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of passing the received data packets comprises maintaining a priority indicated by the data packets and tagging the data packets with a priority tag to be evaluated by the access points. 14. A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of passing the received data packets comprises establishing a prioritization policy based on filtering of the data packets and tagging the data packets with a priority tag to be evaluated by the access points based on the established prioritization policy. 15. A process as recited in claim 1, further comprising establishing a bandwidth usage policy for the wireless devices and instructing the plurality of access points to follow the established bandwidth usage policy. 16. A process as recited in claim 1, further comprising: receiving a re-association request from a transferring wireless device through a new access point of the plurality of access points, where the transferring wireless device was previously associated with an old access point of the plurality of access points; providing session information for the transferring wireless device to the new access point; and updating a routing table with a routing location of the transferring wireless device. 17. A process as recited in claim 16, further comprising encapsulating received data packets with Internet protocol information associated with the new access point and updating routing information in a local routing table. 18. A process as recited in claim 1, further comprising: receiving a re-association request from a transferring wireless device through a new access point of the plurality of access points, where the transferring wireless device was previously associated with an alternate access point in communication with the wireless network through an alternate network device; sending a request for configuration information for the transferring wireless device from the alternate network device; and forwarding access point configuration data, determined from the configuration information for the transferring wireless device received from the alternate network device, to the new access point. 19. A process as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a wireless internet protocol phone, the client identifier is call setup data and said step of passing the received data packets comprises passing voice over internet protocol data packets to portions of the wireless network and to the plurality of access points, based on the evaluation of the received voice over internet protocol data packets. 20. A process as recited in claim 19, wherein said step of evaluating data packets comprises: sending a call connected signal received from an Internet protocol phone gateway to the one access point; and mediating a negotiation of network resources between the Internet protocol phone gateway and the wireless Internet protocol phone.