MAC address acquisition method and device, equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to the technical field of communication, and provides an MAC address acquisition method and device, equipment and a storage medium, which can be applied to a first AP. The method comprises the following steps: receiving an address resolution protocol (ARP) request frame sent by station equipment (STA), wherein the ARP request frame is used for requesting to acquire an MAC address corresponding to a target IP address included in the ARP request frame; and sending the ARP request frame to the second AP. According to the embodiment of the invention, when the STA is switched between the APs, the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address in the ARP request frame can be effectively obtained.

Description

MAC address acquisition method, device, equipment and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of communication technology. Specifically, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for obtaining a MAC address. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology, researchers have proposed the next generation of Wi-Fi technology: Ultra High Reliability (UHR), with the vision of improving the reliability of WLAN connections, reducing latency, increasing manageability, and increasing throughput.

[0003] In the aforementioned UHR architecture, STAs can seamlessly roam between multiple APs. When a STA roams from AP1 to AP2, AP1 receives an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request frame from the STA over a certain link. This ARP request frame requests the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address. If AP1 cannot provide the STA with the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, AP2 must provide the STA with the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address. However, existing technologies cannot currently address this issue.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a MAC address acquisition method, apparatus, device, and storage medium, so that a STA can effectively obtain the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address in an ARP request frame when switching between APs.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for obtaining a MAC address, which can be applied to a first AP. The method includes:

[0007] Receive an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request frame sent by a station device (STA), where the ARP request frame is used to request a MAC address corresponding to a target IP address included in the ARP request frame;

[0008] The ARP request frame is sent to the second AP.

[0009] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for obtaining a MAC address, which can be applied to a second AP. The method includes:

[0010] An ARP request frame sent by the first AP is received, where the ARP request frame is used to request a MAC address corresponding to a target IP address included in the ARP request frame, and the ARP request frame is sent by the STA to the first AP.

[0011] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a MAC address acquisition device, the device comprising:

[0012] A first communication unit is configured to receive an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request frame sent by a station device (STA), where the ARP request frame is used to request a MAC address corresponding to a target IP address included in the ARP request frame;

[0013] The first communication unit is configured to send the ARP request frame to the second AP.

[0014] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a MAC address acquisition device, the device comprising:

[0015] The second communication unit is configured to receive an ARP request frame sent by the first AP, where the ARP request frame is used to request a MAC address corresponding to a target IP address included in the ARP request frame, and the ARP request frame is sent by the STA to the first AP.

[0016] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an electronic device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the program, any one of the MAC address acquisition methods provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is implemented.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be given in part in the following description, which will become apparent from the following description or be learned through practice of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0019] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the interaction between an AP MLD and a STA provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG2 is another schematic diagram of the interaction between the AP MLD and the STA provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG4 is an interactive diagram of a method for obtaining a MAC address provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] 5a-5c are other interactive diagrams of the MAC address acquisition method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG6 is a flow chart of a method for obtaining a MAC address according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG7 is another flow chart of a method for obtaining a MAC address according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a MAC address acquisition device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG9 is another structural diagram of a MAC address acquisition device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "and / or" describes the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0030] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "plurality" refers to two or more than two, and other quantifiers are similar thereto.

[0031] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise indicated, like numbers in different figures represent like or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all possible embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present invention, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0032] The terms used in this disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0033] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in this disclosure to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, for example, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining."

[0034] To improve system throughput (i.e., transmission rate), sufficient bandwidth must be provided for communication in spectrum frequencies above 45 GHz. For example, at least 1.08 GHz of bandwidth must be provided at 45 GHz, and at least 4.32 GHz (160 MHz, 320 MHz, etc.) or higher bandwidth must be provided at 60 GHz. Therefore, in UHR technology, device association can be achieved using at least sub-7 GHz spectrum. When devices require high-speed communication (high throughput), simultaneous communication can be achieved using sub-7 GHz + 45 / 60 GHz. Furthermore, UHR technology will further enhance low-latency service transmission mechanisms. In existing application scenarios, STAs (such as mobile STAs) often switch between two APs or AP MLDs. If the communication status of the STA associated with its AP changes, the STA can switch to another AP for communication, ensuring continuous data flow.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the AP MLD is a logical entity that can be composed of multiple co-located APs (such as AP1, AP2, and AP3) and / or multiple non-co-located subordinate APs (APn). STAX is associated with AP2, and STAy is associated with AP3. AP2 can route STAX's data to the target device through a data path, and AP3 can route STAy's data to the target device through a data path.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, during data transmission between STAX and the target device through AP2, AP2 can switch to APn and route the data to the target device through APn for data transmission, or APn can forward the data to AP2, and then AP2 can route the data to the target device.

[0037] In the existing Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) architecture, the AP can provide the STA with the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address of the target device it needs to communicate with through the ARP protocol. The AP can set the Proxy ARP field to 1 in the Extended Capabilities element to maintain the mapping of the hardware address to the Internet address (IPv4 address and IPv6 address) for each associated STA and update the mapping when any address of the associated STA changes.

[0038] The 802.11be architecture is shown in Figure 3 and is described as follows:

[0039] AP MLD has two subordinate APs: AP1 operates on channel 1 in the 5 GHz band, and AP2 operates on channel 2 in the 6 GHz band. AP MLD, AP1, and AP2 are connected to a distribution system (DS), which is connected to the LAN through an ingress (e.g., an Ethernet interface).

[0040] Two Non-AP MLDs (Non-AP MLD1 and Non-AP MLD2) are associated with the AP MLD, respectively. Each Non-AP MLD includes two subordinate STAs operating on link 1 and link 2, respectively.

[0041] The MAC address of Non-AP MLD1 is MLD1-M. The IPv4 address MLD1-IPv4 and the IPv6 address MLD1-InPv6 are assigned to Non-AP MLD1.

[0042] STA5 is a STA not affiliated with Non-AP MLD and is associated with AP1. STA5's MAC address is STA5-M, and its IPv4 address is STA5-IPv4. STA6 is a device connected to AP-MLD through the distribution system. When AP MLD receives an ARP request or neighbor solicitation message from STA6 through the distribution system, with the destination IP address set to MLD1-IPv4, the IPv4 address of Non-AP MLD1, the proxy ARP service in AP MLD responds to STA6 with an ARP response or neighbor advertisement message, with the sender's MAC address set to MLD1-M.

[0043] When AP MLD receives an ARP request with a target IP address of MLD1-IPv4 from STA5 on link 1, the proxy ARP service in AP MLD responds to STA5 with an ARP response packet with a sender MAC address of MLD1-M.

[0044] When AP MLD receives a neighbor solicitation message with the target IP address being Non-AP MLD1's IPv6 address MLD1-IPv6 from Non-AP MLD2 on link 2, the proxy ARP service in AP MLD responds to Non-AP MLD2 with a neighbor advertisement message with the target link-layer address being MLD1-M.

[0045] When AP1 receives an ARP request with the target IP address being STA5's IPv4 address STA5-IPv4 from Non-AP STA3 (not shown) associated with Non-AP MLD2 on Link 1, the proxy ARP service in AP1 responds to Non-AP STA3 with an ARP response packet, with the sender's MAC address set to STA5-M.

[0046] However, if an ARP request with a target IP address of the IPv4 address of STA5 is received by AP2 on link 2 from Non-AP STA4 associated with Non-AP MLD2, the ARP request is forwarded to AP1 (e.g., via the distribution system), and the proxy ARP service in AP1 responds to Non-AP STA3 with an ARP response packet with the sender's MAC address of STA5-M (e.g., through the distribution system and AP2).

[0047] In the preceding architecture, a STA (non-AP MLD) can seamlessly roam between multiple APs (AP MLD). When a STA (non-AP MLD) roams from AP1 (AP MLD1) to AP2 (AP MLD2), AP1 (AP MLD1) may receive an ARP request frame on a certain link. If AP1 (AP MLD1) cannot provide the STA (non-AP MLD) with the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, AP2 (AP MLD2) must provide it to the STA (non-AP MLD). However, this requirement is not specified in the existing standard's signaling.

[0048] To address the above issues, the following will provide a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a portion of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of them. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0049] Among them, the method and the device are based on the same public concept. Since the principles of solving problems by the method and the device are similar, the implementation of the device and the method can refer to each other, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0050] See Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the communication system architecture provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. This system architecture includes at least a first AP, a second AP, and a STA. When a STA switches from the first AP to the second AP, the STA can send an ARP request frame to the first AP. The ARP request frame is used to request the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address included in the ARP. The target IP address is the IP address of the device with which the STA wishes to transmit data.

[0051] Among them, when the target device is Non-AP MLD, or when the target device supports only single-link operation and is not associated with AP MLD, the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address is the MAC address of the target device. When the target device is Non-AP MLD, the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address is the Non-AP MLD MAC address. When the target device supports only single-link operation and is not associated with AP MLD, the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address is the MAC address of the target device.

[0052] If the target device supports only a single link and is associated with the AP MLD, the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address is the link MAC address of the link where the target device is located.

[0053] The first AP may forward the ARP request frame to the second AP.

[0054] The second AP can send an ARP response frame to the first AP. The ARP response frame indicates the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, and the destination address of the ARP response frame is the MAC address corresponding to the STA. Based on this, after receiving the ARP response frame, the first AP can send the ARP response frame to the STA.

[0055] When the STA is in Non-AP MLD mode, or when the STA supports only single-link operation and is not associated with AP MLD, the MAC address corresponding to the STA is the MAC address of the STA. When the target device supports only single-link operation and is associated with AP MLD, the MAC address corresponding to the STA is the link MAC address of the link to which the STA is located.

[0056] As shown in Figure 4 , when the first and second APs are independent APs, when a STA roams from the first AP to the second AP, the STA can send an ARP request frame to the first AP, requesting the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address included in the ARP request frame. The second AP can forward the ARP request frame to the second AP, which then sends an ARP response frame to the first AP.

[0057] The ARP response frame includes the MAC address corresponding to the STA, so that the first AP forwards the ARP response frame to the STA after receiving the ARP response frame.

[0058] The ARP response frame is used to indicate the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address included in the ARP request frame.

[0059] When the first AP and the second AP are multi-link devices (MLDs), the first AP may receive the ARP request frame sent by the STA through the first subordinate AP operating on the first link.

[0060] If the target IP address is an IP address under the first link, the first AP can send an ARP request frame to the second AP through the first subsidiary AP, or forward the ARP request frame internally to the fourth subsidiary AP operating on the second link through the first subsidiary AP, and finally send the ARP request frame to the second AP through the fourth subsidiary AP. Specifically, the first AP can send an ARP request frame to the second subsidiary AP that is affiliated with the second AP and operating on the first link through the first subsidiary AP or the fourth subsidiary AP, or send the ARP request frame to the third subsidiary AP that is affiliated with the second AP and operating on the second link, and the second AP can forward the ARP request frame internally to the second subsidiary AP operating on the first link through the third subsidiary AP.

[0061] If the target IP address is an IP address under the first link, the second AP ultimately receives the ARP request frame through the second subordinate AP operating on the first link, and sends an ARP response frame to the first AP through the second subordinate AP, or internally forwards the ARP response frame to the third subordinate AP operating on the second link through the second subordinate AP, and ultimately sends the ARP response frame to the first AP through the third subordinate AP. Specifically, the second AP may send the ARP response frame to the first subordinate AP that is subordinate to the first AP and operating on the first link through the second subordinate AP or the third subordinate AP, or forward the ARP response frame to the fourth subordinate AP that is subordinate to the first AP and operating on the second link, and the first AP may internally forward the ARP response frame to the first subordinate AP operating on the first link through the fourth subordinate AP.

[0062] Finally, the first AP sends the ARP response frame to the STA through the first subordinate AP operating on the first link.

[0063] Among them, if the target IP address is the IP address under the first link, the second AP eventually receives the ARP response frame and sends the ARP response frame through the second subsidiary AP working on the first link, and the first AP eventually receives the ARP response frame and sends the ARP response frame to the STA through the first subsidiary AP working on the first link.

[0064] If the target IP address is an IP address under the second link, the first AP can send an ARP request frame to the second AP through the first subsidiary AP, or internally forward the ARP request frame to the fourth subsidiary AP operating on the second link through the first subsidiary AP, and finally send the ARP request frame to the second AP through the fourth subsidiary AP. Specifically, the first AP can send an ARP request frame to a third subsidiary AP that is affiliated with the second AP and operating on the second link through the first subsidiary AP or the fourth subsidiary AP, or send the ARP request frame to a second subsidiary AP that is affiliated with the second AP and operating on the first link, and the second AP can internally forward the ARP request frame to the third subsidiary AP operating on the second link through the second subsidiary AP.

[0065] If the target IP address is an IP address under the second link, the second AP ultimately receives the ARP request frame through the third subordinate AP operating on the second link, and sends an ARP response frame to the first AP through the third subordinate AP, or internally forwards the ARP response frame to the second subordinate AP operating on the first link through the third subordinate AP, and ultimately sends the ARP response frame to the first AP through the second subordinate AP. Specifically, the second AP may send the ARP response frame to the fourth subordinate AP that is subordinate to the first AP and operating on the second link through the second subordinate AP or the third subordinate AP, or send the ARP response frame to the fourth subordinate AP that is subordinate to the first AP and operating on the first link, and the first AP may internally forward the ARP response frame to the fourth subordinate AP that is subordinate to the first AP and operating on the second link through the first subordinate AP.

[0066] Finally, the first AP sends the ARP response frame to the STA through the fourth subordinate AP operating on the second link.

[0067] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the STA may be a Non-AP MLD.

[0068] For example, AP1 and AP4 are attached to AP MLD1, and AP2 and AP3 are attached to AP MLD2. When the Non-AP MLD switches from AP MLD1 to AP MLD2, the Non-AP MLD can send an ARP request frame to AP MLD1, requesting the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address included in the ARP request frame. AP1 and AP2 operate on the first link, while AP3 and AP4 operate on the second link. AP MLD1 receives the ARP request frame sent by the Non-AP MLD through AP1.

[0069] When the target IP address in the ARP request frame is the IP address of the first link, as shown in Figure 5a, AP MLD1 can receive the ARP request frame through AP1 and send the ARP request frame to AP2. AP MLD2 can send an ARP response frame to AP1 through AP2. The ARP response frame includes the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, and the destination address of the ARP response frame is the MAC address of the non-AP MLD. AP MLD1 receives the ARP response frame through AP1 and sends it to the non-AP MLD through AP2.

[0070] When the destination IP address in the ARP request frame is an IP address on the second link, as shown in Figure 5b, AP MLD1 can receive the ARP request frame through AP1 and send the ARP request frame to AP2 through AP1. AP2 then forwards the ARP request frame to AP3. Alternatively, AP MLD1 can send the ARP request frame directly to AP3 through AP1.

[0071] When the target IP address in the ARP request frame is an IP address on the second link, as shown in Figure 5c, AP MLD2 can send an ARP response frame to AP1 via AP3, and then send the ARP response frame to AP4 via AP1. Alternatively, AP MLD2 can directly send an ARP response frame to AP4 via AP3. After AP4 receives the ARP response frame, AP MLD1 sends the ARP response frame to the Non-AP MLD via AP4. The ARP response frame indicates the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, and the destination address of the ARP response frame is the MAC address corresponding to the Non-AP MLD. Based on this, after receiving the ARP response frame via AP4, AP MLD1 can send the ARP response frame to the Non-AP MLD via AP4.

[0072] The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for obtaining a MAC address, which can be applied to a first AP. For details, see FIG6 , which is a flow chart of the method for obtaining a MAC address provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0073] Optionally, the method may include the following steps:

[0074] Step S61: Receive an ARP request frame sent by a STA. The ARP request frame is used to request a MAC address corresponding to a target IP address included in the ARP request frame.

[0075] The target IP address included in the ARP request frame is the IP address of the target device with which the STA expects to communicate, and the target IP address can be an IPv4 address or an IPv6 address, which is not limited here.

[0076] The STA may be an independent device that is not associated with any Non-AP MLD, or may be a Non-AP MLD, which is not limited here.

[0077] The first AP may be an independent AP or a multi-link device (MLD), that is, the first AP may be an AP MLD.

[0078] Step S62: Send an ARP request frame to the second AP.

[0079] When the first AP cannot provide the STA with the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, the first AP forwards the ARP request frame to the second AP.

[0080] The second AP may be an independent AP or a multi-link device (MLD), that is, the first AP may be an AP MLD.

[0081] The MAC address acquisition method applied to the first AP provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure further includes:

[0082] Receive an ARP response frame sent by the second AP, where the ARP response frame is used to indicate the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, and the destination address of the ARP response frame is the MAC address corresponding to the STA;

[0083] Furthermore, after receiving the ARP response frame, the first AP may send the ARP response frame to the STA according to the destination address of the ARP response frame.

[0084] In the MAC address acquisition method applied to the first AP provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first AP and the second AP are multi-link devices MLD, and the first AP receives the ARP request frame through the first subordinate AP, which is subordinate to the first AP and works on the first link.

[0085] When the first and second APs are AP MLDs, each of their subordinate APs can operate on multiple links at different frequencies, such as links at 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz, or several 2.4 GHz links with the same or different bandwidths. That is, one subordinate AP of the first AP can operate on the same link as one subordinate AP of the second AP.

[0086] For ease of description, when the first AP is a multi-link device, the link on which the subordinate AP (first AP) used by the first AP to receive the ARP request frame works is called the first link.

[0087] In a MAC address acquisition method applied to a first AP provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first AP and the second AP are multi-link devices (MLDs), and the first AP receives an ARP request frame through a first subordinate AP operating on the first link, when the target IP address included in the ARP request frame is an IP address on the first link, the first AP sends the ARP request frame to the second AP, including:

[0088] An ARP request frame is sent to a second subordinate AP through the first subordinate AP, where the second subordinate AP is subordinate to the second AP and operates on the first link.

[0089] That is, when the target IP address included in the ARP is the IP address under the first link, the first AP sends the ARP request frame to the second subordinate AP attached to the second AP and working on the first link through the first subordinate AP, so as to forward the ARP request frame to the second AP.

[0090] In a MAC address acquisition method applied to a first AP provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first AP and the second AP are multi-link devices (MLDs), and the first AP receives an ARP request frame through a first subordinate AP operating on the first link, when the target IP address included in the ARP request frame is an IP address on the second link, the first AP sends the ARP request frame to the second AP, including:

[0091] An ARP request frame is sent to the second subsidiary AP through the first subsidiary AP, so that the second subsidiary AP sends the ARP request frame to the third subsidiary AP.

[0092] The second subsidiary AP and the third subsidiary AP are subordinate to the second AP, and the second subsidiary AP works on the first link, and the third subsidiary AP works on the second link.

[0093] That is, when the target IP address included in the ARP is the IP address under the second link, the first AP sends the ARP request frame to the second subsidiary AP that is subordinate to the second AP and works on the first link through the first subsidiary AP, so that the second subsidiary working on the first link inside the second AP forwards the ARP request frame to the third subsidiary AP working on the second link.

[0094] Optionally, when the target IP address included in the ARP request frame is an IP address under the second link, the first AP sends the ARP request frame to the second AP, including:

[0095] An ARP request frame is sent to the third subordinate AP through the first subordinate AP.

[0096] The third subordinate AP is subordinate to the second AP and operates on the second link.

[0097] That is, when the target IP address included in the ARP is an IP address under the second link, the first AP directly sends the ARP request frame to the third subordinate AP that is subordinate to the second AP and works on the second link through the first subordinate AP.

[0098] In a MAC address acquisition method applied to a first AP provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first AP and the second AP are multi-link devices (MLDs), and the first AP receives an ARP request frame through a first subordinate AP operating on a first link, when the target IP address included in the ARP request frame is an IP address on the first link, receiving an ARP response frame sent by the second AP includes:

[0099] An ARP request frame sent by the second subordinate AP is received through the first subordinate AP.

[0100] The second AP is attached to the second AP and works on the first link.

[0101] That is, after receiving the ARP request frame forwarded by the first AP, the second AP may send an ARP response frame to the first AP through the second subordinate AP operating on the first link, to indicate the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address.

[0102] The destination address of the ARP response frame is the MAC address corresponding to the STA, so that after the first AP receives the ARP response frame, it can send the ARP response frame to the STA according to the destination address of the ARP response frame.

[0103] In a MAC address acquisition method applied to a first AP provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first AP and the second AP are multi-link devices (MLDs), and the first AP receives an ARP request frame through a first subordinate AP operating on the first link, when the target IP address included in the ARP request frame is an IP address on the second link, receiving an ARP response frame sent by the second AP includes:

[0104] The ARP response frame sent by the third subordinate AP is received through the first subordinate AP, and the ARP response frame is forwarded to the fourth subordinate AP.

[0105] The first subordinate AP is subordinate to the first AP and works on the first link, the third subordinate AP is subordinate to the second AP and works on the second link, and the fourth subordinate AP is subordinate to the first AP and works on the second link.

[0106] That is, after receiving the ARP request frame forwarded by the first AP, the second AP can send an ARP response frame to the first subordinate AP (affiliated to the first AP and operating on the first link) via the third subordinate AP operating on the second link, indicating the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address. After the first AP receives the ARP response frame via the first subordinate AP, the first subordinate AP can internally forward the ARP response frame to the fourth subordinate AP operating on the second link, thereby ultimately receiving the ARP response frame.

[0107] Optionally, when the target IP address included in the ARP request frame is an IP address on the second link, receiving the ARP response frame sent by the second AP includes:

[0108] The ARP response frame sent by the third subordinate AP is received through the fourth subordinate AP.

[0109] The fourth subordinate AP is subordinate to the first AP and operates on the second link.

[0110] That is, after receiving the ARP request frame forwarded by the first AP, the second AP can directly send an ARP response frame to the fourth subordinate AP attached to the first AP and working on the second link through the third subordinate AP working on the second link to indicate the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address.

[0111] The destination address of the ARP response frame is the MAC address corresponding to the STA, so that after the first AP receives the ARP response frame, it can send the ARP response frame to the STA according to the destination address of the ARP response frame.

[0112] In the MAC address acquisition method applied to a first AP provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first AP and the second AP are multi-link devices (MLDs), and the first AP receives an ARP request frame through a first subordinate AP operating on a first link, the method sends an ARP response frame to a STA, including:

[0113] When the target IP address is the IP address under the first link, an ARP response frame is sent to the STA through the first subordinate AP;

[0114] When the target IP address is the IP address under the second link, an ARP response frame is sent to the STA through the third subordinate AP.

[0115] The first subsidiary AP and the third subsidiary AP are subordinate to the first AP, and the third subsidiary AP works on the second link, while the first subsidiary AP works on the first link.

[0116] That is, when the first AP is a multi-link device (MLD), the first AP sends an ARP response frame to the STA through the subordinate AP operating under the link corresponding to the target IP address.

[0117] The ARP response frame is used to indicate the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, and the destination address of the ARP response frame is the MAC address corresponding to the STA.

[0118] The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for obtaining a MAC address, which can be applied to a second AP. For details, see FIG7 , which is another flowchart of the method for obtaining a MAC address provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0119] Optionally, the method may include the following steps:

[0120] Step S71: Receive an ARP request frame sent by a first AP. The ARP request frame is used to request a MAC address corresponding to a target IP address included in the ARP request frame. The ARP request frame is sent by a STA to the first AP.

[0121] The target IP address included in the ARP request frame is the IP address of the target device with which the STA expects to communicate, and the target IP address can be an IPv7 address or an IPv6 address, which is not limited here.

[0122] The STA may be an independent device that is not associated with any Non-AP MLD, or may be a Non-AP MLD, which is not limited here.

[0123] The first AP may be an independent AP or a multi-link device (MLD), that is, the first AP may be an AP MLD.

[0124] The ARP request frame received by the second AP is forwarded by the first AP to the second AP when the first AP is unable to provide the STA with a MAC address corresponding to the target IP address.

[0125] The second AP may be an independent AP or a multi-link device (MLD), that is, the first AP may be an AP MLD.

[0126] The MAC address acquisition method applied to the second AP provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure further includes:

[0127] An ARP response frame is sent to the first AP. The ARP response frame is used to indicate the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, and the destination address of the ARP response frame is the MAC address corresponding to the STA. After the first AP receives the ARP response frame, it can send the ARP response frame to the STA according to the destination address of the ARP response frame.

[0128] In the MAC address acquisition method applied to the second AP provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first AP and the second AP are multi-link devices MLD, and the first AP receives the ARP request frame through the first subordinate AP, which is subordinate to the first AP and works on the first link.

[0129] When the first and second APs are AP MLDs, each of their subordinate APs can operate on multiple links at different frequencies, such as links at 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz, or several 2.4 GHz links with the same or different bandwidths. That is, one subordinate AP of the first AP can operate on the same link as one subordinate AP of the second AP.

[0130] For ease of description, when the first AP is a multi-link device, the link on which the subordinate AP (first AP) used by the first AP to receive the ARP request frame works is called the first link.

[0131] In a MAC address acquisition method applied to a second AP provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a first AP and a second AP are multi-link devices (MLDs), and the first AP receives an ARP request frame through a first subordinate AP operating on a first link, when a target IP address included in the ARP request frame is an IP address on the first link, receiving the ARP request frame sent by the first AP includes:

[0132] The ARP request frame sent by the first subordinate AP is received by the second subordinate AP, where the second subordinate AP is subordinate to the second AP and operates on the first link.

[0133] That is, when the target IP address included in the ARP is the IP address under the first link, the first AP sends the ARP request frame to the second subordinate AP attached to the second AP and working on the first link through the first subordinate AP, so as to forward the ARP request frame to the second AP.

[0134] In a MAC address acquisition method applied to a second AP provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a first AP and a second AP are multi-link devices (MLDs), and the first AP receives an ARP request frame through a first subordinate AP operating on the first link, when a target IP address included in the ARP request frame is an IP address on the second link, receiving the ARP request frame sent by the first AP includes:

[0135] The ARP request frame sent by the first subordinate AP is received through the second subordinate AP, and the ARP request frame is sent to the third subordinate AP through the second subordinate AP.

[0136] The second subsidiary AP and the third subsidiary AP are subordinate to the second AP, and the second subsidiary AP works on the first link, and the third subsidiary AP works on the second link.

[0137] That is, when the target IP address included in the ARP is the IP address under the second link, the first AP sends the ARP request frame to the second subordinate AP that is subordinate to the second AP and works on the first link through the first subordinate AP, and the second subordinate AP working on the first link inside the second AP forwards the ARP request frame to the third subordinate AP working on the second link.

[0138] Optionally, when the target IP address included in the ARP request frame is an IP address under the second link, receiving the ARP request frame sent by the first AP includes:

[0139] The ARP request frame sent by the first subordinate AP is received through the third AP.

[0140] The third subordinate AP is subordinate to the second AP and operates on the second link.

[0141] That is, when the target IP address included in the ARP is an IP address under the second link, the first AP directly sends the ARP request frame to the third subordinate AP that is subordinate to the second AP and works on the second link through the first subordinate AP.

[0142] In a MAC address acquisition method applied to a second AP provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a first AP and a second AP are multi-link devices (MLDs), and the first AP receives an ARP request frame through a first subordinate AP operating on a first link, when a target IP address included in the ARP request frame is an IP address on the first link, an ARP response frame is sent to the first AP, including:

[0143] An ARP request frame is sent to the first subordinate AP through the second subordinate AP.

[0144] The second AP is attached to the second AP and works on the first link.

[0145] That is, after receiving the ARP request frame forwarded by the first AP, the second AP may send an ARP response frame to the first AP through the second subordinate AP operating on the first link, to indicate the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address.

[0146] The destination address of the ARP response frame is the MAC address corresponding to the STA, so that after the first AP receives the ARP response frame, it can send the ARP response frame to the STA according to the destination address of the ARP response frame.

[0147] In a MAC address acquisition method applied to a second AP provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a first AP and a second AP are multi-link devices (MLDs), and the first AP receives an ARP request frame through a first subordinate AP operating on the first link, when the target IP address included in the ARP request frame is an IP address on the second link, an ARP response frame is sent to the first AP, including:

[0148] An ARP response frame is sent to the first subordinate AP through the third subordinate AP, so that the first AP forwards the ARP response frame to the fourth subordinate AP through the first AP.

[0149] The first subordinate AP is subordinate to the first AP and works on the first link, the third subordinate AP is subordinate to the second AP and works on the second link, and the fourth subordinate AP is subordinate to the first AP and works on the second link.

[0150] That is, after receiving the ARP request frame forwarded by the first AP, the second AP can send an ARP response frame to the first subordinate AP (affiliated to the first AP and operating on the first link) via the third subordinate AP operating on the second link, indicating the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address. After the first AP receives the ARP response frame via the first subordinate AP, the first subordinate AP can internally forward the ARP response frame to the fourth subordinate AP operating on the second link, thereby ultimately receiving the ARP response frame.

[0151] Optionally, when the target IP address included in the ARP request frame is an IP address under the second link, sending an ARP response frame to the first AP includes:

[0152] An ARP response frame is sent to the fourth subordinate AP through the third subordinate AP.

[0153] The fourth subordinate AP is subordinate to the first AP and operates on the second link.

[0154] That is, after receiving the ARP request frame forwarded by the first AP, the second AP can directly send an ARP response frame to the fourth subordinate AP attached to the first AP and working on the second link through the third subordinate AP working on the second link to indicate the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address.

[0155] The destination address of the ARP response frame is the MAC address corresponding to the STA, so that after the first AP receives the ARP response frame, it can send the ARP response frame to the STA according to the destination address of the ARP response frame.

[0156] It should be noted that in any embodiment of the present disclosure, the second AP (or its subordinate AP) determines the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address by specifically maintaining a mapping from a hardware address to an Internet address. Furthermore, in any embodiment of the present disclosure, the first link and the second link are different links.

[0157] Based on the MAC address acquisition method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, when a STA roams from a first AP to a second AP, the first AP can forward the ARP request frame to the second AP after receiving the ARP request frame sent by the STA, and forward the ARP response frame sent by the second AP to the STA, so as to indicate the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address included in the ARP request frame through the ARP response frame, thereby realizing seamless roaming of the STA between APs.

[0158] As shown in FIG8 , an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a MAC address acquisition device, including:

[0159] The first communication unit 81 is configured to receive an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request frame sent by a station device STA, where the ARP request frame is used to request a MAC address corresponding to a target IP address included in the ARP request frame;

[0160] The first communication unit 81 is configured to send the ARP request frame to the second AP.

[0161] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first communication unit 81 is further configured to:

[0162] receiving an ARP response frame sent by the second AP, where the ARP response frame indicates the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, and the destination address of the ARP response frame is the MAC address corresponding to the STA;

[0163] Send the ARP response frame to the STA.

[0164] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first AP and the second AP are multi-link devices MLD;

[0165] The first AP receives the ARP request frame through a first subordinate AP, and the first subordinate AP is subordinate to the first AP and works on a first link.

[0166] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the target IP address is an IP address under the first link, the first communication unit 81 is configured to:

[0167] Sending the ARP request frame to the second subordinate AP through the first subordinate AP;

[0168] The second AP is attached to the second AP and works on the first link.

[0169] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the target IP address is an IP address under the second link, the first communication unit 81 is configured to:

[0170] Sending the ARP request frame to the second subordinate AP through the first subordinate AP, so that the second subordinate AP sends the ARP request frame to the third subordinate AP; or

[0171] Sending the ARP request frame to the third subordinate AP through the first subordinate AP;

[0172] The second subsidiary AP and the third subsidiary AP are subordinate to the second AP, and the second subsidiary AP and the third subsidiary AP work on the first link and the second link respectively.

[0173] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the target IP address is an IP address under the first link, the first communication unit 81 is configured to:

[0174] receiving, through the first subordinate AP, an ARP response frame sent by the second subordinate AP;

[0175] The second AP is attached to the second AP and works on the first link.

[0176] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the target IP address is an IP address under the second link, the first communication unit 81 is configured to:

[0177] receiving an ARP response frame sent by a third subordinate AP through the first subordinate AP, and forwarding the ARP response frame to a fourth subordinate AP through the first subordinate AP; or

[0178] receiving, through the fourth subordinate AP, an ARP response frame sent by the third subordinate AP;

[0179] The third subsidiary AP and the fourth subsidiary AP are respectively attached to the second AP and the first AP, and the third subsidiary AP and the fourth subsidiary AP work in the second link.

[0180] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first communication unit 81 is configured to:

[0181] When the target IP address is the IP address under the first link, sending the ARP response frame to the STA through the first subordinate AP;

[0182] When the target IP address is the IP address under the second link, sending the ARP response frame to the STA through the third subordinate AP;

[0183] The third subordinate AP is subordinate to the first AP, and the third subordinate AP works on the second link.

[0184] As shown in FIG9 , an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a MAC address acquisition device, including:

[0185] The second communication unit 91 is configured to receive an ARP request frame sent by the first AP, where the ARP request frame is used to request a MAC address corresponding to a target IP address included in the ARP request frame. The ARP request frame is sent by the STA to the first AP.

[0186] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the second communication unit 91 is further configured to:

[0187] An ARP response frame is sent to the first AP, where the ARP response frame is used to indicate the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, and the destination address of the ARP response frame is the MAC address corresponding to the STA.

[0188] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first AP and the second AP are multi-link devices MLD;

[0189] The ARP request frame is received by the first AP through a first subordinate AP, and the first subordinate AP is subordinate to the first AP and operates on a first link.

[0190] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the target IP address is an IP address under the first link, the second communication unit 91 is configured to:

[0191] Receiving, through the second subordinate AP, the ARP request frame sent by the first subordinate AP;

[0192] The second AP is attached to the second AP and works on the first link.

[0193] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the target IP address is an IP address under the second link, the second communication unit 91 is configured to:

[0194] receiving the ARP request frame sent by the first subordinate AP through the second subordinate AP, and sending the ARP request frame to the third subordinate AP through the second subordinate AP; or

[0195] receiving, through the third subordinate AP, an ARP request frame sent by the first subordinate AP;

[0196] The second subsidiary AP and the third subsidiary AP are subordinate to the second AP, and the second subsidiary AP and the third subsidiary AP work on the first link and the second link respectively.

[0197] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the target IP address is an IP address under the first link, the second communication unit 91 is configured to:

[0198] Sending an ARP response frame to the first subordinate AP through the second subordinate AP;

[0199] The second AP is attached to the second AP and works on the first link.

[0200] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the target IP address is an IP address under the second link, the second communication unit 91 is configured to:

[0201] Sending an ARP response frame to the first subordinate AP through the third subordinate AP, so that the first subordinate AP forwards the ARP response frame to the fourth subordinate AP; or

[0202] Sending an ARP response frame to the fourth subordinate AP through the third subordinate AP;

[0203] The third subsidiary AP and the fourth subsidiary AP are respectively attached to the second AP and the first AP, and the third subsidiary AP and the fourth subsidiary AP work in the second link.

[0204] The present disclosure also provides an electronic device, as shown in FIG10 . The electronic device 1000 shown in FIG10 includes a processor 1001 and a memory 1003. The processor 1001 and the memory 1003 are connected, for example, via a bus 1002. Optionally, the electronic device 1000 may further include a transceiver 1004. It should be noted that in actual applications, the number of transceivers 1004 is not limited to one, and the structure of the electronic device 1000 does not constitute a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0205] Memory 1003 is used to store application code for executing the embodiments of the present disclosure, and is controlled by processor 1001 for execution. When electronic device 1000 functions as a first AP, processor 1001 is used to execute the application code stored in memory 1003 to implement the MAC address acquisition method for the first AP provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure. When electronic device 1000 functions as a second AP, processor 1001 is used to execute the application code stored in memory 1003 to implement the MAC address acquisition method for the second AP provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0206] Bus 1002 may include a path for transmitting information between the aforementioned components. Bus 1002 may be a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus or an EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) bus, for example. Bus 1002 may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, and so on. For ease of illustration, FIG10 shows only one thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0207] The memory 1003 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited to these.

[0208] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the computer-readable storage medium is run on a computer, the computer can execute the corresponding contents of the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0209] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts of the accompanying drawings are shown in sequence as indicated by the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise specified herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some of the steps in the flowcharts of the accompanying drawings may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages, and these sub-steps or stages are not necessarily executed at the same time, but can be executed at different times, and their execution order is not necessarily sequential, but can be executed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least a portion of the sub-steps or stages of other steps.

[0210] It should be noted that the computer-readable storage medium mentioned above in the present disclosure may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium, or any combination of the two. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or device, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or device. In the present disclosure, a computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, which carries computer-readable program code. Such a propagated data signal may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. A computer-readable signal medium may also be any computer-readable storage medium other than a computer-readable storage medium that can transmit, propagate, or convey a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be conveyed using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wires, optical cables, RF (radio frequency), etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0211] The computer-readable storage medium may be included in the first AP or the second AP; or may exist independently without being assembled into the first AP or the second AP.

[0212] The computer-readable storage medium carries one or more programs. When the one or more programs are executed by the first AP or the second AP, the first AP or the second AP executes the corresponding MAC address acquisition method.

[0213] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product or computer program is provided, comprising computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, causing the computer device to perform the MAC address acquisition method provided in the various optional implementations described above.

[0214] Computer program code for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be written in one or more programming languages, or a combination thereof, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as "C" or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on the remote computer or server. In cases involving a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0215] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible implementation architecture, functions and operations of the systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each box in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, program segment, or a part of code, and the module, program segment, or a part of code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order than that marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or flowchart, and the combination of the boxes in the block diagram and / or flowchart, can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0216] The modules described in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in software or hardware. In some cases, the name of a module does not necessarily define the module itself. For example, module A may also be described as "module A for performing operation B."

[0217] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and an illustration of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of disclosure involved in the present disclosure is not limited to the technical solutions formed by the specific combination of the above-mentioned technical features, but also includes other technical solutions formed by any combination of the above-mentioned technical features or their equivalents without departing from the above-mentioned disclosed concepts. For example, a technical solution formed by replacing the above-mentioned features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining a MAC address, characterized in that: Applied to a first access point device AP, the method includes: Receiving an address resolution protocol ARP request frame sent by a station device STA, where the ARP request frame is used to request a MAC address corresponding to a target IP address included in the ARP request frame; The ARP request frame is sent to the second AP.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving an ARP response frame sent by the second AP, where the ARP response frame is used to indicate a MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, and a destination address of the ARP response frame is a MAC address corresponding to the STA; Send the ARP response frame to the STA.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first AP and the second AP are multi-link devices MLD; The first AP receives the ARP request frame through a first subordinate AP, and the first subordinate AP is subordinate to the first AP and works on a first link.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that When the target IP address is an IP address under the first link, sending the ARP request frame to the second AP includes: Sending the ARP request frame to the second subordinate AP through the first subordinate AP; The second AP is attached to the second AP and works on the first link.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the target IP address is an IP address under the second link, sending the ARP request frame to the second AP includes: Sending the ARP request frame to the second subordinate AP through the first subordinate AP, so that the second subordinate AP sends the ARP request frame to the third subordinate AP; or Sending the ARP request frame to a third subordinate AP through the first subordinate AP; The second subsidiary AP and the third subsidiary AP are subordinate to the second AP, and the second subsidiary AP and the third subsidiary AP work on the first link and the second link respectively.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that When the target IP address is an IP address under the first link, the receiving the ARP response frame sent by the second AP includes: receiving, by the first subordinate AP, an ARP response frame sent by the second subordinate AP; The second AP is attached to the second AP and works on the first link.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that When the target IP address is an IP address under the second link, the receiving the ARP response frame sent by the second AP includes: receiving, through the first subsidiary AP, an ARP response frame sent by a third subsidiary AP, and forwarding, through the first subsidiary AP, the ARP response frame to a fourth subsidiary AP; or, receiving, by the fourth subordinate AP, an ARP response frame sent by the third subordinate AP; The third subsidiary AP and the fourth subsidiary AP are respectively subordinate to the second AP and the first AP, and the third subsidiary AP and the fourth subsidiary AP work in a second link.

8. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that Sending the ARP response frame to the STA includes: When the target IP address is an IP address under the first link, sending the ARP response frame to the STA through the first subordinate AP; When the target IP address is an IP address under the second link, sending the ARP response frame to the STA through a third subordinate AP; The third subsidiary AP is subordinate to the first AP, and the third subsidiary AP works on the second link.

9. A method for obtaining a MAC address, characterized in that: Applied to the second AP, the method includes: An ARP request frame sent by a first AP is received, where the ARP request frame is used to request a MAC address corresponding to a target IP address included in the ARP request frame, and the ARP request frame is sent by a STA to the first AP.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: An ARP response frame is sent to the first AP, where the ARP response frame is used to indicate the MAC address corresponding to the target IP address, and the destination address of the ARP response frame is the MAC address corresponding to the STA.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The first AP and the second AP are multi-link devices MLD; The ARP request frame is received by the first AP through a first subordinate AP, and the first subordinate AP is subordinate to the first AP and works on a first link.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that When the target IP address is an IP address under the first link, the receiving the ARP request frame sent by the first AP includes: receiving, by a second subordinate AP, the ARP request frame sent by the first subordinate AP; The second AP is attached to the second AP and works on the first link.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that When the target IP address is an IP address under the second link, the receiving the ARP request frame sent by the first AP includes: receiving the ARP request frame sent by the first subordinate AP through the second subordinate AP, and sending the ARP request frame to a third subordinate AP through the second subordinate AP; or, receiving, by a third subordinate AP, an ARP request frame sent by the first subordinate AP; The second subsidiary AP and the third subsidiary AP are subordinate to the second AP, and the second subsidiary AP and the third subsidiary AP work on the first link and the second link respectively.

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that When the target IP address is an IP address under the first link, the sending an ARP response frame to the first AP includes: Sending an ARP response frame to the first subordinate AP through the second subordinate AP; The second AP is attached to the second AP and works on the first link.

15. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that When the target IP address is an IP address under the second link, the sending an ARP response frame to the first AP includes: Sending an ARP response frame to the first subordinate AP through the third subordinate AP, so that the first subordinate AP forwards the ARP response frame to the fourth subordinate AP; or sending an ARP response frame to a fourth subordinate AP through the third subordinate AP; The third subsidiary AP and the fourth subsidiary AP are respectively subordinate to the second AP and the first AP, and the third subsidiary AP and the fourth subsidiary AP work in a second link.

16. A MAC address acquisition device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A first communication unit, configured to receive an address resolution protocol ARP request frame sent by a station device STA, wherein the ARP request frame is used to request to obtain a MAC address corresponding to a target IP address included in the ARP request frame; The first communication unit is used to send the ARP request frame to the second AP.

17. A MAC address acquisition device, characterized in that: The device comprises: The second communication unit is used to receive an ARP request frame sent by the first AP, where the ARP request frame is used to request a MAC address corresponding to a target IP address included in the ARP request frame, and the ARP request frame is sent by the STA to the first AP.

18. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, and the processor implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 when executing the program.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 is implemented.

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