Wi-Fi Probe Suppression for Preferred Access Point Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

In active-active wireless network deployments, wireless clients often connect to redundant access points instead of preferred ones, leading to suboptimal network traffic routing and requiring special client configuration to distinguish between preferred and redundant access points.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a probe suppression mechanism in Wi-Fi access points, where a probe suppression indicator is set to suppress or respond to probe requests based on the access point's status, ensuring clients connect to the preferred access point by suppressing responses from redundant access points unless the preferred is down or unresponsive.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If all access points respond to probe requests in active-active deployments, then client connection availability is improved, but clients connect to redundant access points instead of preferred ones causing suboptimal network traffic routing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclient connection availabilityVSAvoidnetwork traffic routing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making each access point's probe response behavior distinct based on its role. The preferred access point responds to probe requests with normal SSID, while the redundant access point suppresses probe responses or responds with a different SSID. This localized differentiation ensures clients connect to the preferred access point for optimal routing while maintaining backup availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the conventional approach where all access points respond equally to probe requests. Instead, the redundant access point inverts its behavior by suppressing responses or using a different SSID, while the preferred access point maintains normal responsive behavior. This inversion resolves the contradiction by making the redundant access point identifiable and avoidable by clients.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Productivity

If redundant access points suppress probe responses, then clients connect to preferred access points for optimal routing, but network availability decreases if the preferred access point fails

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork traffic routing efficiencyVSAvoidnetwork availability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the redundant access point with a suppressed probe response state. This preliminary suppression ensures clients initially connect to the preferred access point for optimal routing. However, the system monitors the preferred access point's status and can dynamically change the redundant access point's probe response behavior to maintain availability if the preferred access point fails.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by making the redundant access point's probe response behavior changeable based on the operational status of the preferred access point. The system dynamically switches between suppressed and responsive states, allowing the network to adapt to failures and maintain availability while optimizing for efficiency during normal operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If clients are configured to distinguish between preferred and redundant access points, then optimal routing is achieved, but device complexity and configuration requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork traffic routing efficiencyVSAvoidclient configuration requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies self-service by enabling the access points to automatically indicate their preferred status through their probe response behavior. Clients can automatically distinguish between preferred and redundant access points by detecting whether probe responses are suppressed or contain different SSIDs, eliminating the need for manual client configuration while achieving optimal routing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11375441B2Systems and methods for connecting wireless clients to preferred edge devices in active-active deployments

Publication Date: 2022.06.28 VERSA NETWORKS

AI summary

A WI-FI access point can be configured to communicate with a service set using a service set identifier (SSID) and to respond to, or not respond to, probe requests based on whether the WI-FI access point is a preferred access point for the SSID. The WI-FI access point can have a probe suppression indicator that indicates suppressive when the access point is not preferred and that indicates responsive when the access point is preferred. Transmitting a WI-FI beacon having a SSID value equaling the SSID can inform WI-FI clients of the service set. The WI-FI clients can transmit probe requests having SSID values equaling the SSID. The WI-FI access point can suppress sending probe responses responsive to the probe requests when the probe suppression indicator indicates suppressive. The WI-FI access point can send probe responses responsive to the probe requests when the probe suppression indicator indicates responsive.