WISPr Attribute-Based Location Services in PWLAN
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for providing location-based services in public wireless local area networks (PWLANs) are difficult to administer, require manual reconfiguration with changes in access point (AP) locations, and do not support static IP users effectively, as they rely on IP address correlations that are cumbersome and not always applicable.
Innovation Solution
The solution disassociates IP address assignment from location-based services by using WISPr attributes stored in the Cisco Access Registrar (CAR) and Service Selection Gateway (SSG), allowing for centralized caching and redistribution of user location information, enabling easier configuration and policy application across geographically dispersed users with shared interests, and supporting static IP users through a RADIUS proxy and SNMP server integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If L2 Switch relaying with option 82 is used to associate address ranges with APs, then DHCP server can assign specific address ranges to APs, but the solution becomes difficult to administer and requires manual reconfiguration when APs are added or moved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the location information from IP address correlation and places it directly at the AP level through WISPr attributes. The RADIUS server obtains location information from the AP itself rather than deriving it from IP address ranges, eliminating the need for complex IP-to-AP mapping configurations and manual reconfiguration when APs are added or moved.
Solution Approach 2:
The RADIUS server acts as an intermediary that directly communicates with the AP to obtain location information through WIS_pr attributes. This intermediary approach replaces the complex L2 Switch relaying mechanism and manual IP range correlation, allowing the system to automatically retrieve location data without administrative intervention when network topology changes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If IP address correlation is used to identify AP location, then location-based services can be provided, but the solution does not work for static IP users and requires manual correlation maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal location identification mechanism using WIS_pr attributes that works for all user types including static IP users. Instead of relying on DHCP-assigned IP addresses that change with user types, the system uses AP-provided location attributes that remain consistent regardless of whether users have dynamic or static IPs, making the solution universally applicable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts location information from the AP's WIS_pr attributes rather than deriving it from user IP addresses. This extraction approach eliminates the dependency on IP address correlation mechanisms that fail for static IP users, providing a direct and reliable method to obtain location information that works universally across different user types without manual configuration.
3Reliability
If L2 Switch is used between AP and AZR, then IP address assignment can be correlated with location, but the solution is not always applicable and requires complex address range correlation
Solution Approach 1:
The RADIUS server serves as an intermediary that directly obtains location information from the AP through WIS_pr attributes, eliminating the need for L2 Switch relaying and complex address range correlation. This intermediary approach provides reliable location information directly from the source (AP) without requiring specific network infrastructure like L2 Switches between AP and AZR.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts location information directly from the AP's WIS_pr attributes rather than correlating it through IP address ranges that require L2 Switch infrastructure. This extraction method provides reliable location information independent of the network architecture, working whether or not L2 Switches are present between AP and AZR.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer configured to serve data services in a one-way cable plant having telco-return for upstream data resources to requesting computers in a networked environment is disclosed. The computer includes a subscriber edge services manager server and a radius proxy server, the radius proxy configured to classify received radius requests into a plurality of types and handle requests classified as a first type from requests classified as non-first types. The computer also includes an access point, the access point providing communication connection to at least one computing device. The subscriber edge services manager server and radius proxy server are configured to communicate with the access point to acquire information from the access point, and user location information is configured on the access point in a vendor-specific attribute.