Cellular Hotspot Traffic Aggregation Across Multiple WAN Backhauls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to effectively manage and optimize traffic aggregation and load balancing across multiple WAN backhauls and distinct LAN networks, leading to inefficiencies and potential service disruptions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing systems and methods for traffic aggregation, load balancing, and self-healing operations across multiple WAN backhauls and LAN networks, utilizing adaptive traffic handling schemes that dynamically adjust to changing traffic demands and link conditions, including packet reordering and selective routing based on traffic type and priority.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple WAN backhauls are used for traffic aggregation, then bandwidth utilization and network performance are improved, but device complexity and traffic management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
A gateway device is introduced as an intermediary between multiple WAN backhauls and LAN networks. The gateway performs traffic aggregation, load balancing, and packet reordering functions, simplifying the complexity by centralizing management in a single intermediary device rather than requiring complex coordination across all network elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments traffic into different types (e.g., real-time, non-real-time, priority, standard) and routes them through different WAN backhauls based on traffic characteristics. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each traffic stream while managing overall complexity through structured categorization.
2Reliability
If adaptive traffic handling schemes are implemented, then service continuity and reliability are improved, but processing overhead and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing multiple WAN backhaul connections and configuring load balancing rules before failures occur. When a failure is detected, the gateway can rapidly switch to alternative backhauls using pre-configured paths, ensuring service continuity without complex real-time decision-making during the failure event.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway continuously monitors the status of WAN backhauls and LAN networks, using feedback from link quality indicators and traffic patterns to dynamically adjust load balancing decisions. This feedback mechanism enables adaptive traffic handling while maintaining manageable complexity through systematic monitoring and response protocols.
3Productivity
If packet reordering and selective routing are performed, then network performance and bandwidth utilization are improved, but processing time and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway applies different processing qualities to different packets based on their type and priority. Real-time and high-priority packets receive minimal processing and are forwarded quickly, while non-real-time packets undergo more extensive reordering and analysis. This local quality differentiation improves overall performance without uniformly increasing processing time for all packets.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with embodiments disclosed herein, there are provided methods, systems, mechanisms, techniques, and apparatuses for traffic aggregation on multiple WAN backhauls and multiple distinct LAN networks; for traffic load balancing on multiple WAN backhauls and multiple distinct LAN networks; and for performing self-healing operations utilizing multiple WAN backhauls serving multiple distinct LAN networks. For example, in one embodiment, a first Local Area Network (LAN) access device is to establish a first LAN; a second LAN access device is to establish a second LAN; a first Wide Area Network (WAN) backhaul connection is to provide the first LAN access device with WAN connectivity; a second WAN backhaul connection is to provide the second LAN access device with WAN connectivity; and a traffic aggregation unit is to form a logically bonded WAN interface over the first WAN backhaul and the second WAN backhaul. In some embodiments an optional traffic de-aggregation unit may be used.