Selective PDU Capture for Wi-Fi Roaming Diagnostics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network diagnostics face challenges with manual intervention and computationally expensive packet capture that captures all packets, leading to noise and difficulty in identifying relevant information for connectivity issues, particularly in large networks.
Innovation Solution
A network device with wireless access point capabilities selectively captures PDUs of interest on multiple interfaces, adding network metadata, and enables on-demand PDU capture by end users, facilitating targeted packet capture and analysis for connectivity issues, including detection of Wi-Fi roaming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If packet capture is enabled for all packets on network interfaces, then complete network traffic analysis is achieved, but computational cost increases and noise increases making it difficult to identify relevant information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments packet capture by interface type (wireless vs. wired) and by PDU type (management frames, data frames, etc.). Different capture configurations are applied to different interfaces based on their specific diagnostic needs, rather than capturing all packets uniformly across all interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and captures only specific PDU types that are relevant to the diagnostic issue at hand. For example, when troubleshooting Wi-Fi roaming, only management frames are captured on wireless interfaces, while other packet types are excluded to reduce noise and computational overhead.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual intervention is required to enable packet capture and configure interfaces, then capture can be customized, but diagnostic time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network device automatically performs packet capture configuration and execution based on the diagnostic issue identified. The system self-determines which interfaces to capture on and what PDU types to capture without requiring manual configuration by support personnel or end users.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures capture parameters and interface selections based on the identified diagnostic issue before actual packet capture begins. This preliminary configuration step automates what would otherwise require manual setup, reducing diagnostic time while maintaining appropriate capture flexibility.
3Loss of information
If all packet headers and data are stored in capture files, then complete analysis information is available, but file size increases and analysis complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary packet information for analysis based on the diagnostic issue. For example, when troubleshooting roaming, only management frame headers and relevant fields are captured and stored, excluding unnecessary data payloads from other packet types that would increase file size without providing diagnostic value.
Data Source
AI summary
A network device via which wireless clients can connect to a wireless network selectively captures PDUs detected on an instrumented interface(s) to capture those of one or more types/subtypes “of interest.” PDU types/subtypes that network device interface(s) has been instrumented to treat as “of interest” include those that are indicative of Wi-Fi roaming of a wireless client. The network device also calculates estimated throughput of the wireless network corresponding to the network device based on network statistics that it determines at fixed time increments and records throughput values in a pre-allocated buffer. When the network device detects a PDU(s) designated for capturing, it reads throughput values recorded in the buffer and writes these throughput values to the PDU capture file in addition to the captured PDU(s). Network support professionals can evaluate the throughput values reported in an uploaded PDU capture file to diagnose network issues attributable to roaming.