Bridge VAP Selection for MBSSID Beacon Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing number of Virtual APs (VAPs) on a Wi-Fi network leads to inefficient airtime usage due to the transmission of beacon frames at lower data rates, causing unnecessary network downtime when a TX-VAP goes down.
Innovation Solution
Selecting a bridge VAP as the TX-VAP for MBSSID groups to maintain network stability, allowing the bridge VAP to transmit beacon frames and ensuring that all STA traffic is bridged or routed locally without an extra data forwarding entity, thus minimizing network impact when data tunnels are broken.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple VAPs are created to provide diverse wireless networks, then network versatility is improved, but airtime efficiency deteriorates due to increased beacon frame transmissions at lower data rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple BSSIDs into a single MBSSID group that shares a common TX-VAP. This allows multiple virtual networks to be advertised through a single beacon frame transmission, combining their promotional functions while reducing the total number of beacon transmissions required, thereby improving airtime efficiency while maintaining network versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The TX-VAP is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously - it acts as the beacon transmitter for the entire MBSSID group and also provides data forwarding services. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate beacon-only VAPs, improving airtime efficiency while maintaining the versatility of multiple network interfaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If overlay VAPs are used for data forwarding through external entities, then network adaptability is improved, but network reliability deteriorates when data tunnels break
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge VAP serves as an intermediary within the MBSSID group that maintains local data forwarding capabilities independent of external data tunnels. When overlay VAPs experience tunnel failures, the bridge VAP can continue to handle data forwarding locally, preventing complete network failure and improving reliability while the system maintains its adaptive overlay capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures a bridge VAP as a backup data forwarding path within the MBSSID group. This cushioning mechanism ensures that when external data tunnels fail, there is already an alternative local path available, preventing network downtime and improving reliability without sacrificing the adaptability of overlay VAPs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a TX-VAP is selected from overlay VAPs to leverage data forwarding capabilities, then network versatility is improved, but network stability deteriorates when the TX-VAP goes down causing entire MBSSID group failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the MBSSID group into multiple functional components - overlay VAPs for data forwarding and a bridge VAP for stable beacon transmission and local forwarding. This segmentation isolates the stability-critical functions from the versatility-providing functions, so that overlay VAP failures do not propagate to the entire group, maintaining stability while preserving versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge VAP acts as a stable intermediary that maintains MBSSID group operation even when overlay VAPs fail. It provides a reliable backbone for beacon transmission and local data forwarding, insulating the group's stability from the inherent instability of overlay VAPs that depend on external data tunnels.
Data Source
AI summary
In implementations of the present disclosure, there is provided an approach for reducing unnecessary network down. A method comprises determining a plurality of virtual access points (VAPs) of the AP in a radio frequency (RF) band. Then, the plurality of VAPs are divided into a plurality of VAP zones based on a set of data forwarding entities corresponding to overlay VAPs in the plurality of VAPs, and the plurality of VAP zones includes a bridge zone and one or more overlay zones. A VAP is selected from the bridge zone for allocation to an MBSSID group of a set of MBSSID groups for the plurality of VAPs as a transmitted VAP (TX-VAP). The TX-VAP is used to transmit a beacon frame for the MBSSID group. Implementations of the present disclosure can help the AP to reduce unnecessary network down caused by data tunnel broken and limit the negative network impact.