Wireless Link Mapping for Multi-VLAN Data Forwarding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems operating in bridge mode are limited to serving data within a single specified virtual local area network (VLAN) and cannot effectively forward data between client devices belonging to different VLANs over a wireless link.
Innovation Solution
Establishing multiple links between network devices corresponding to various VLANs and creating a mapping between these links and VLANs, allowing data from client devices in different VLANs to be forwarded through the appropriate links based on the mapping, thereby enabling data forwarding across multiple VLANs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single wireless link is established between network devices, then the association is limited to serve in one specified VLAN, but the system cannot forward data between client devices belonging to different VLANs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a single wireless link into multiple virtual links, each associated with a specific VLAN. The network device establishes multiple associations with the second network device, where each association corresponds to a different VLAN. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple VLANs through what appears to be a single logical wireless connection, resolving the contradiction between VLAN support capability and link management complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a mapping mechanism that enables a single physical wireless link to serve multiple VLANs simultaneously. By establishing a correspondence relationship between multiple associations and multiple VLANs, the system makes the wireless link universal, allowing it to handle traffic from different VLANs through proper packet marking and forwarding rules, thus improving VLAN support capability without proportionally increasing physical link complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple links are established between network devices for different VLANs, then data forwarding across multiple VLANs is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mapping table as an intermediary data structure that stores the correspondence relationships between associations and VLANs. This mapping mechanism acts as a mediator that simplifies the management of multiple links by providing a centralized lookup table for packet forwarding decisions. The mapping table allows the network device to efficiently determine which association to use for forwarding packets from different VLANs without complex real-time decision logic, thus enabling multi-VLAN forwarding capability while managing device complexity through structured data organization.
Data Source
AI summary
An example first device may include a processor to establish a plurality of links associating between the first network device and a second network device, the plurality of links corresponding to a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs) that a plurality of client devices associated with the first network device belong to; create a mapping between the plurality of links and the plurality of VLANs; and forward data received from a particular client device among the plurality of client devices in a particular VLAN of the plurality of VLANs to the second network device via a particular link corresponding to the particular VLAN based on the mapping.