Patent Application
20180359214
The invention relates to the field of telecommunications, and in particular that of communications in IP networks such as the Internet.
Many uses require the ability to connect to the internet network (or any other IP protocol Internet network) via a wireless connection, for example to access the Internet from a moving vehicle, or from a geographic zone not covered by a wired infrastructure such as ADSL connection. The access networks with wide coverage—wide area networks (WAN)—such as the cellular networks of 2G, 3G or 4G type, or the satellite networks, are means most commonly used to connect wirelessly to the Internet, through their wide geographic coverage. Moreover, in many cases, the need for wireless connection to the Internet does not concern just one equipment item such as a smartphone, but can relate to a plurality of equipment items forming a network. One common case in point is that of a vehicle (car, truck, bus, train, etc.) having to connect to the Internet network several of its own embedded equipment items or terminals or onboard equipment items. To address this need, it is known practice to use a wireless router. One example of wireless router commonly used is that of the smartphone configured according to the “connection sharing” mode. In this mode, the smartphone configures its Wi-Fi interface in access point (AP) mode to create a Wi-Fi access point to which other equipment items or terminals can connect. The smartphone can then route the IP communications of its third-party equipment items or terminals via its WAN interface to offer them access to the Internet.
The wireless router is also composed of a TCP/IP communication protocol stack (114) which comprises components for performing the IP router function to route the data packets between the LAN and WAN interfaces, and the access router configuration function for each of the LAN (Ethernet and Wi-Fi) interfaces. The configuration of the router makes it possible to perform the functions of:
In the very great majority of cases, the technologies used on the LAN interfaces offer bit rates well above those available on a WAN interface, with, as a very rough approximation, a LAN bit rate approximately 10 times higher than the WAN bit rate, for example 1 Gbps over an Ethernet LAN interface and up to several hundreds of Mbps over a Wi-Fi interface, when the bit rate at best these days reaches a hundred or so Mbps over a 4G WAN interface. Because of this, the WAN interface constitutes a bottleneck for all of the traffic transiting via a wireless router from or to terminals connected to its LAN interfaces. And, in practice, that limits the number of terminals and/or the quantity of traffic which can be routed via a wireless router. The quality of service or the quality of experience perceived by the users is therefore affected thereby.
To address this issue of limited bandwidth, induced by the use of a WAN interface of a wireless router, a first approach consists in equipping the wireless router with several WAN interfaces, to create a multiple-interface wireless router. This approach is fairly restrictive in practice because it requires both hardware and software extensions on the wireless router because new WAN interfaces have to be incorporated in the router, either directly therein (for example in the form of a PCI express mini card), or on external USB ports available on the router. These hardware extensions then induce a significant increase in the cost of the equipment while limiting the flexibility thereof because it remains difficult for the user to upgrade the number of WAN interfaces on his or her wireless router to adapt it to his or her own needs in terms of bandwidth. Furthermore, this approach also requires software extensions on the wireless router in order to take over the distribution of the different datastreams to the different WAN interfaces. There are various strategies for that:
Another known approach for addressing the issue of limited bandwidth induced by the use of a WAN interface of a wireless router consists in connecting a traffic source and/or destination terminal to several wireless routers, each being equipped with a WAN interface. However, this approach is fairly restrictive in practice because it requires both hardware and software extensions on the terminal itself. In particular:
Thus, whatever the LAN technology used (Ethernet or Wi-Fi), this second approach can create address conflicts since a terminal (110, 112) can be granted the same IP address by different wireless routers, the wireless routers allocating addresses in addressing spaces that are private, and therefore potentially identical from one router to another. Such is particularly the case when the wireless routers do not allow a user to configure the private addressing spaces that they use on their LAN interfaces, which is the case with some smartphones. In this address conflict situation, the mechanism that makes it possible to choose the wireless router associated with a datastream by the simple choice of source IP address is then no longer functional, which can create various consequences such as the duplication or the multiplication of the streams if they are taken over by two or more wireless routers and therefore a potential malfunction of the associated applications and a dissipation of the bandwidth. That can also have as a consequence a systematic routing of the streams to just one of the wireless routers, then no longer allowing to exploit the bandwidth of the other routers.
Finally, even if a user is given the possibility of manually configuring the different addressing spaces on his or her different wireless routers, that means, for him or her, an additional checking and configuration step which is tedious, complex and easily forgettable, therefore a complexity of use.
Thus, the known approaches present drawbacks which can be summarized as being:
There is then the need for a solution which overcomes the drawbacks of the known approaches. The present invention addresses this need.
One object of the present invention is to propose a device that makes it possible to significantly increase the bandwidth available for wireless communications between a user terminal and its correspondent in an IP network.
The device of the invention is generally composed of one or more wireless routers coupled operationally to a router called “aggregation router” via a single network interface, allowing each user terminal connected to the aggregation router to communicate with its correspondent in an IP network, by benefiting from a greater bandwidth corresponding to the aggregate bandwidth of the different wireless routers.
Another object of the present invention is to propose a reliable and functional solution which eliminates any risk of address conflicts.
Another object of the present invention is to propose a solution which does not require any hardware modification to the wireless routers or to the user terminals, while allowing the use of any number of wireless routers by the device.
Advantageously, the device of the invention significantly increases the ease of use for a user, because no manual configuration of the addressing spaces of the wireless routers is required, the user terminals not being modified. Moreover, the user can easily add new wireless routers to the device to increase the available bandwidth without requiring any particular modification to the aggregation router, or modification of the correspondents in the Internet.
Advantageously, the aggregation mode on the aggregate wireless routers of the device of the invention can easily be implemented on any known wireless router, in the form of a software component to execute the required functions. Advantageously, the aggregation router requires only a single network interface.
The present invention will be advantageously applicable in all the environments where an equipment item of fixed or mobile user terminal type having a communication interface (LAN) interfaces with the Internet via another equipment item having a limited bandwidth, of wireless router type equipped with a WAN interface.
Advantageously, the device of the invention allows the “user terminal” equipment item to benefit from a greater bandwidth that can approach the maximum bit rate of its LAN interface by aggregating the bit rate of several WAN interfaces, the aggregate bandwidth corresponding to the sum of the bandwidths of the WAN interfaces of the wireless routers that are configured in aggregation mode.
Without being limiting, the examples of advantageous application of the present invention may be in the following scenarios:
To obtain the results sought, a device as described in the independent claim 1 is proposed. In particular, there is proposed, a device for wireless communications in an IP network having a plurality of wireless routers capable of routing datastreams, each router having at least one LAN interface for receiving datastreams from at least one user terminal and a WAN interface for communicating to the IP network, the device comprising:
The invention also covers a method as described in the independent claim 18 to operate wireless communications in an IP network having a plurality of wireless routers capable of routing datastreams, each router having at least one LAN interface for receiving datastreams from at least one user terminal and a WAN interface for communicating to the IP network, the method comprising the steps of:
All or part of the invention can operate in the form of a computer program product which comprises code instructions to perform the steps of the method claimed when the program is run on a computer.
Different aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in support of the description of a preferred, but nonlimiting, mode of implementation of the invention, with reference to the figures below:
Reference is made to
In this configuration, one or more wireless routers (220 to 220-n), called aggregate routers communicate in Wi-Fi mode (221) with the aggregation router (210) via their respective Wi-Fi interface. In the example described, a user equipment item (202) which communicates with the aggregation router (210) in Wi-Fi mode (211) will be able to communicate with its correspondent or correspondents in the IP network by benefiting from a greater bandwidth corresponding to the aggregate bandwidth of the different wireless routers (220 to 220-n).
The bandwidth aggregation is obtained by the distribution on the different aggregate wireless routers of the different datastreams from the user terminals to the IP network.
For example, if a user terminal has 3 datastreams, each of these streams can be associated with a different aggregate wireless router, and thus, each stream can benefit from the maximum bandwidth of a WAN interface, whereas, if all the streams were to transit via the same WAN interface, without “aggregation” of the wireless routers, each stream could have on average only a third of the bandwidth of a WAN interface, all the streams then transiting to a single wireless router.
The maximum bandwidth theoretically available for the streams from the user terminals to the IP network is the minimum value between (1) the bandwidth of the LAN network to which the user terminals and the aggregation router are connected, and the LAN interfaces of the aggregate wireless routers, and (2) the sum of the bandwidths of the WAN interfaces of the aggregate wireless routers.
The aggregation router (210) is composed of a single network interface, called aggregation interface (214), on which it is configured via a protocol module (212) as access router, that is to say default router and address provider. In the example of
More generally, for any LAN technology associated with a star-type topology, the aggregation router configures its aggregation interface to operate as root node of the topology. The aggregation interface is used to intercept the datastreams from the user terminals (202) and redirect these streams to the Wi-Fi interfaces of the aggregate routers (220 to 220-n).
The aggregation router (210) also comprises a module (216) for discovering the wireless routers (220 to 220-n) which operate in aggregation mode and are connected to the Wi-Fi aggregation interface (214) of the aggregation router.
The aggregation router (210) also comprises a module (218) for allocating the datastreams from the user terminals (202) to the various discovered aggregate wireless routers (220 to 220-n) connected to the aggregation interface (214) of the aggregation router.
The aggregation router (210) can also comprise additional interface blocks (203) to allow the aggregation router to take over datastreams from terminals connected to these additional interfaces 203 and dispatch them to the aggregate routers.
To facilitate the description of the invention, hereinbelow, just one aggregate wireless router (220) is described in more detail, but the person skilled in the art can extend the principles to a plurality of aggregate wireless routers (220 to 220-n) in communication with the aggregation router (210).
An aggregate wireless router (220) comprises a WAN interface (222) connected to the Internet or to an IP network, a LAN interface of Wi-Fi type (224) configured as a terminal, that is to say applying neither the default router function nor the address provider function, and they can be connected to the aggregation interface (214) of an aggregation router (210). The aggregate wireless router further comprises a protocol module (226) allowing the activation of the IP routing between the WAN interface (222) and the Wi-Fi interface (224) with the systematic use of an address translation NAT mechanism (referenced NAT* in the figure) for any IP traffic routed between its LAN and WAN interfaces. The aggregate wireless router (220) further comprises an announcement module (228) which allows the router to announce itself as being configured in aggregation mode to allow an aggregation router (210) to discover that the wireless router is operating according to the aggregation mode.
The aggregate wireless router can also comprise other LAN interfaces (223), of Ethernet type, for example, as is detailed with reference to
In this configuration, the topology is of bus or “mesh” type in which each node (301, 311, 321, 321-n) on the LAN network can communicate directly with another node on the same LAN.
In the example described, one or more wireless routers (320 to 320-n), called aggregate routers, communicate in Ethernet mode (321) with an aggregation router (310) via their respective Ethernet interface. A user equipment item (302) which communicates with the aggregation router (310) in Ethernet mode over the LAN network (301, 311) will be able to communicate with its correspondent or correspondents in the IP network by benefiting from a greater bandwidth corresponding to the aggregate bandwidth of the different wireless routers (320 to 320-n).
The aggregation router (310) comprises an Ethernet network interface, called aggregation interface (314), on which it is configured via a protocol module (312) as an access router, that is to say as default router and address provider. As for any LAN technology associated with a “bus” or “mesh” type topology, the Ethernet interface does not require particular configuration to intercept the datastreams from user terminals and redirect them to the Ethernet interfaces of the aggregate routers.
An aggregate wireless router (320) in an Ethernet operating mode comprises a WAN interface (322) connected to the Internet or to an IP network, an Ethernet LAN interface (323) being able to be connected to the Ethernet aggregation interface (314) of an aggregation router (310). The aggregate wireless router further comprises a protocol module (326) allowing the activation of the IP routing between the WAN interface (322) and the Ethernet interface (323) with the systematic use of an address translation NAT mechanism (referenced NAT* in
The aggregation router (310) also comprises a module (316) for discovering wireless routers (320 to 320-n) which are operating in aggregation mode and which are connected to the Ethernet aggregation interface (314) of the aggregation router.
The aggregation router (310) also comprises a module (318) for allocating datastreams from the user terminals (302) to the various discovered aggregate wireless routers (320 to 320-n) connected to the aggregation interface (314) of the aggregation router.
The aggregation router (310) can further comprise additional interface blocks (303) for non-aggregation mode communications with user terminals (304).
The next step (410) consists in allocating the received stream to one of the aggregate wireless routers. The wireless routers configured in aggregation mode can be selected by the aggregation router according to certain criteria. The aggregation router uses the list of the aggregate routers selected to distribute, allocate the datastreams from the user terminals connected to the aggregation interface to the different aggregate routers. Several distribution algorithms can be used, such as, for example, those targeting:
The person skilled in the art will understand that other algorithms can be implemented to distribute the datastreams to the aggregate wireless routers.
In a next step (412), the method makes it possible to save the association created between the stream and the selected aggregate router. The module (218, 318) for allocating streams to the aggregate routers is responsible for maintaining a mapping table indicating, for each stream, the aggregate router which is assigned to it. An entry in the table can for example identify a new stream in the form of a set of parameters deriving from the protocol headers contained in the datastream, such as, for example, the set {source IP address, destination IP address, source port, destination port}. The associated aggregate router can be identified according to a router identification parameter received from the latter in its announcement messages, such as, for example, its IP address or its MAC address on the aggregation interface.
In a next step (414), the method makes it possible to route all the data packets associated with a received stream to the aggregate router selected according to the corresponding entry in the mapping table. When a new stream which is not already listed in the mapping table is detected, the stream allocation module selects the aggregate router to be used for this new stream, according to the algorithm implemented and adds a new entry in its mapping table. Once this entry is created, all the data packets associated with this same stream are automatically routed to the corresponding aggregate router. More specifically, the aggregation router transmits said data packets over its aggregation interface by specifying the MAC address of the aggregate router as destination address in the header of the MAC frame of the message.
In a next step (416), the method makes it possible to route the data packets outgoing to the IP network from the aggregate router. The outgoing packets of the data stream are received on the LAN interface of the aggregate router and modified according to the NAT-systematic mechanism (NAT*) described previously before being transmitted over the WAN interface. This mechanism makes it possible to ensure that all the outgoing data packets will have, as source-IP address, the address of the WAN interface of the aggregate router. Consequently, the “incoming” data packets transmitted in response to “outgoing” data packets are routed to the WAN interface of the aggregate router managing said stream. Advantageously, this systematic network address translation NAT mechanism makes it possible to ensure that the “incoming” and “outgoing” packets of one and the same datastream all transit through the same aggregate router.
The next step (418) illustrates the reception of incoming packets of a datastream received at the WAN interface of the aggregate router. The incoming packets are modified according to the NAT-systematic mechanism (NAT*) in order to replace the destination IP address contained in the packet, i.e. that of the WAN interface, with the IP address of the user terminal that is the recipient of the stream. After replacement, the packet is transmitted over the LAN interface of the aggregate router. If the LAN has a star-type topology, case of the Wi-Fi technology with the aggregation interface configured as access points, the “incoming” packets are routed via the aggregation router and via its aggregation interface to the recipient user terminal. If the LAN has a “bus” or “mesh” type topology, case of the Ethernet technology, the “incoming” packets are routed directly from the aggregate router to the user terminal if the latter is connected to said LAN.
In a next step (506), the aggregation router generates one or more discovery messages on its aggregation interface in order to prompt the transmission of announcement messages by wireless routers configured in aggregation mode and connected to the aggregation interface of the aggregation router. The aggregation router continually updates a list of the aggregate wireless routers discovered. According to the variant implementations, an aggregation router can transmit, regularly, for example periodically, discovery messages on its aggregation interface in order to check and update if necessary the list of the wireless routers configured in aggregation mode, called “list of the aggregate routers”, connected to its aggregation interface. The aggregation router uses the list of the aggregate routers to distribute and allocate the data streams from the user terminals to the different aggregate routers.
The list of the aggregate routers selected can change over time, depending on where the new wireless routers in aggregation mode are discovered on the LAN or other aggregate routers disappear for example through deactivation of the aggregation mode on a wireless router.
In a variant of the invention, the aggregation router can assess the availability and the quality of the WAN connection of a wireless router in aggregation mode that has been discovered, before considering it as a usable router to be added to the list of aggregate routers. The check on the availability of connectivity to the WAN interface can be performed by the aggregation router by sending a data packet to a destination in the Internet and awaiting the response in return. One way to proceed may be with the “ping” application.
The assessment of the quality can be made on certain quality parameters of a WAN connection, such as the latency for example. The aggregation router can proceed with an exchange of packets with a recipient in the Internet network in order to measure the round trip time (RTT) and deduce a latency therefrom, for example ½ RTT.
The assessment of the quality can be made on other parameters of quality of the WAN connection, such as the strength of the signal received on the WAN interface. The aggregation router can use a discovery message by including therein a suitable option for invoking one or more quality parameters, which will be included in the announcement message returned by the aggregate router to be selected.
A first step (602) consists in deactivating a possible existing configuration on the wireless router. It may involve deactivating an earlier configuration of “default router” type or of “address provider” type or any IP address configuration, of IPv4 and/or IPv6 type for example.
Advantageously, the “aggregation” mode can be configured statically on the wireless routers, and in which case they operate systematically according to this mode, or, alternatively, the “aggregation” mode can be configured dynamically, for example directly by the user of the device. As an example, in the case where the wireless router is a smartphone, the “aggregation” mode can be activated manually by the user from a smartphone configuration interface.
Advantageously, a wireless router can operate according to the aggregation mode on just one or several of its LAN interfaces in parallel. In a variant implementation, the configuration of the aggregation mode on the wireless router can include a list of the LAN interfaces for which the aggregation mode is used.
If the LAN interface is of Wi-Fi type, the method makes it possible to configure it in station terminal mode “STA” (step 604) and to proceed with the attachment of this Wi-Fi LAN interface to the Wi-Fi aggregation interface (itself configured in access point mode) of the aggregation router, in order to allow the Wi-Fi connection to be set up between the wireless router (via its LAN interface) and the aggregation router (via its aggregation interface).
To allow the wireless router in Wi-Fi station terminal mode to detect the presence of the aggregation router acting as Wi-Fi access point, the Wi-Fi interface of the aggregation router can be associated with a Wi-Fi network identifier (e.g. an ESSID) known to the wireless router so that the latter recognizes, by virtue of this identifier announced by the aggregation router on its Wi-Fi interface, that it is indeed the aggregation router targeted. Thus, the wireless router connects its Wi-Fi LAN interface to the Wi-Fi access point formed by the Wi-Fi aggregation interface of the aggregation router.
Then, the method makes it possible to automatically configure (step 606) on the LAN interface a new IP address, which can be an IPv4 and/or IPv6 address. The address configuration can be of stateful or stateless type. In a next step (608), the WAN interface of the router is connected to the Internet network.
Then (step 610), the method makes it possible to activate the IP routing (IPv4 and/or IPv6) between the WAN interface and the LAN interface, and activate (step 612) the systematic use of the address translation mechanism NAT* for any IP traffic routed between its LAN and WAN interfaces. The systematic use of NAT differs from the traditional use of this mechanism, which normally is used only when the addressing space on the LAN interface cannot be routed over the WAN interface. In the method of the present invention, the systematic NAT* mechanism means that the address translation is used even when the addresses used on the LAN interface can be routed over the WAN interface. Thus, for example, the NAT* mechanism is used even if the LAN interface is configured with IPv4 and/or IPv6 addresses that are overall routable in the Internet network that can be reached via the WAN interface. Advantageously, this systematic configuration of the NAT mechanism makes it possible to ensure that the packets associated with a bidirectional datastream all transit uplink and downlink via the same WAN interface.
In a next step (614), the method allows the transmission of an announcement message on each of its LAN interfaces associated with the “aggregation” mode. The announcement message transmitted over a LAN interface contains at least one identifier of the wireless router, such as, for example, the MAC address or the IP address of the LAN interface.
In this variant implementation, one and the same aggregation router can be equipped with several (two or more) aggregation interfaces, each interface being associated with a different LAN network. In the example illustrated, an aggregation router (702) is equipped with a first aggregation interface of Wi-Fi type (706) and a second aggregation interface of Ethernet type (704).
In this configuration, the distribution of the streams implemented by the stream allocation module (708) of the aggregation router can be done either:
This variant is illustrated in
In another variant implementation, that can coexist with the preceding variant, one and the same aggregation router can be equipped with one or more WAN interface(s) (714) in addition to its aggregation interface or interfaces, for example two WAN interfaces of the same type or of different types, e.g. 2G/3G/4G.
Advantageously, in this variant implementation, the aggregation router can also be configured as a wireless router operating according to the “aggregation” mode on its WAN interface or interfaces (714) by using, as wireless router LAN interface, one of the aggregation interfaces (704, 706). In this configuration, the systematic NAT mechanism (NAT*) is activated by the streams from the LAN interface and routed to the WAN interface. This variant is illustrated in
In another variant implementation that can coexist with the preceding variants, the aggregation router can also act as user terminal, and be the source of datastreams which are then processed similarly to those originating from other user terminals connected to aggregation interfaces of the aggregation router.
In another variant implementation that can coexist with the preceding variants, the aggregation router (702) can be equipped with one or more additional LAN interface(s) on which the equipment item acts also as traditional access router without operating as aggregation router on this interface, that is to say without transmitting announcement messages over its interfaces. In this configuration, any data stream from terminals connected to these interfaces can be processed similarly to streams originating from other user terminals, connected to aggregation interfaces of the aggregation router. This variant is illustrated in
In another variant implementation, the WAN interfaces can be of wired type.
Thus, the present description illustrates a preferential implementation of the invention, but is not limiting. An example has been chosen to allow a good understanding of the principles of the invention, and a concrete application, but it is in no way exhaustive and should allow the person skilled in the art to add modifications and variant implementations while retaining the same principles.
The invention can be implemented from hardware and/or software elements. It can be available as computer program product on a computer-readable medium. The medium can be electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic or be of infrared type. Such media are, for example, semiconductor memories (Random Access Memory RAM, Read-Only Memory ROM), tapes, diskettes or magnetic or optical discs (Compact Disc—Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Compact Disc—Read/Write (CD-R/W) and DVD).
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1561933 | Dec 2015 | FR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2016/078332 | 11/21/2016 | WO | 00 |
