Patent · US Expired

Method, apparatus, and software product for detecting rogue access points in a wireless network

US7286515B2 · kind B2 · utility

58Cited by
50References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 28, 2004
Grant dateOct 23, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 5, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W12/122
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a software program to implement a method to detect a rogue access point of a wireless network. The method includes maintaining an AP database that includes information about managed access point (APs) and friendly APs, including the MAC address of each managed AP. The method further includes sending a scan request to one or more managed APs, including one or more of a request for the receiving managed AP to scan for beacons and probe responses and a request for the receiving managed AP to request its clients to scan for beacons and probe responses. The method further includes receiving reports from at least one of the receiving managed APs, a report including information on any beacon or probe response received that was sent by an AP. For each beacon or probe response on which information is received, the method analyzes the information received in the report about the AP that sent the beacon or probe response, the analyzing including ascertaining if the MAC address of the AP that sent the beacon or probe response matches a MAC address of an AP in the AP database to ascertain whether or not the AP is a potential rogue AP or a managed or friendly AP.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.