Wi-Fi Uplink Redundancy for Failed Upstream Wired Ports

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing backbone networks face complexity and inefficiency in managing wired redundancy as they scale, necessitating a robust technique for using Wi-Fi for redundancy of failed upstream ports.

Innovation Solution

An L2/L3 switch with integrated Wi-Fi transceivers monitors upstream wired ports for failures and redirects network packets to Wi-Fi ports when a failure occurs, ensuring a valid route exists, and transfers data back to wired ports once the failure is resolved.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wired redundancy connections are increased to maintain reliability as the backbone network scales, then network reliability is improved, but device complexity and management complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork reliabilityVSAvoidwired redundancy complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces Wi-Fi as an intermediary communication medium between L2/L3 switches and upstream network devices. When wired connections fail, the Wi-Fi transceiver acts as a mediator to maintain connectivity, thereby reducing the need for complex wired redundancy configurations while preserving network reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical/wired redundancy system with a wireless (Wi-Fi) redundancy system. Instead of adding more physical wired connections for redundancy, the system substitutes wireless communication to provide backup connectivity, thereby reducing wired device complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Device complexity

If Wi-Fi is used for upstream port redundancy, then wired redundancy complexity is reduced, but network performance may be affected due to wireless limitations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewired redundancy complexityVSAvoidnetwork performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies Wi-Fi redundancy selectively rather than for all upstream connections. The system monitors wired port status and only activates Wi-Fi fallback when failures are detected, using wireless communication partially to supplement wired infrastructure rather than replacing it entirely, thus maintaining performance for critical paths while reducing complexity elsewhere.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes communication parameters by switching between wired and wireless modes based on detected failure conditions. When wired ports fail, the system changes the active communication medium parameter from wired to Wi-Fi, and can also adjust transmission parameters to optimize wireless performance for redundancy traffic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12531777B2Optimization of communication between network devices using wireless redundancy

Publication Date: 2026.01.20 FORTINET INC

AI summary

A downstream wired port receives network packets over the at least one or more downstream wired port. An upstream routing table, responsive the failure of the at least one of the one or more upstream wired ports, in this embodiment, determines whether a valid route for the network packets exists over the upstream network device. The upstream routing table, responsive to determining that a valid route exists, redirects the network packets for the failed upstream wired port to the upstream Wi-Fi port.