SSID-Based Network Detection for Enterprise User Classification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems struggle to accurately categorize enterprise user devices based on the type of network they connect to, leading to inefficiencies in managing user experiences and resources, as IP addresses can be unreliable due to the use of virtual private networks.
Innovation Solution
A system that analyzes Service Set Identifier (SSID) data from client devices to categorize network connections as public, home, or enterprise networks, using entropy measures and percentage thresholds to enhance accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If IP addresses are used to categorize network connections, then the categorization process is simple, but the accuracy is poor due to virtual private networks masking actual network types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces SSID (Service Set Identifier) as an intermediary parameter between the device and the categorization system. Instead of directly using IP addresses, the system collects SSID data from the device's wireless network connections. The SSID acts as a mediator that reveals the actual network environment (enterprise, public, or home) without being obscured by VPN configurations, thereby improving categorization accuracy while maintaining system simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional IP-based network identification mechanism with an SSID-based mechanism. This substitution changes the fundamental approach from analyzing network layer information (IP addresses) to analyzing application layer information (SSID strings), which are not affected by VPN tunneling and directly indicate the underlying network type
2Reliability
If support personnel manually analyze network types from help-desk tickets, then troubleshooting can be performed, but employee productivity is negatively impacted due to downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary automated network categorization before issues arise. By continuously collecting and analyzing SSID data from enrolled devices, the system proactively determines network types and stores this information in a database. When help-desk tickets are generated, support personnel can immediately access pre-analyzed network information, eliminating the need for manual analysis and reducing troubleshooting time, thereby maintaining productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service troubleshooting by automatically gathering network information from devices and making it accessible through the help-desk interface. The automated collection and analysis of SSID data performs the initial diagnostic work without human intervention, allowing support personnel to focus on solution implementation rather than information gathering, thus reducing downtime and improving productivity
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various examples for automatically analyzing telemetry data from managed devices in one or more organizations and categorizing devices and/or user accounts as home users, hybrid users, or office users. The categorization can be performed based upon an analysis of a wireless network connection of a client device that is managed by a management service.