Bridging wireless and wired media in a computer network

摘要

In one embodiment, a transmitting node may be configured to transmit a wireless advertisement frame over a computer network, wherein the frame includes a source address of a reachable node being advertised, a destination address to which the reachable node is to be advertised, a transmitter address of the transmitting node, and a receiver address of a wireless access point to which the wireless advertisement frame is to be received. Also, the wireless access point may be configured to receive the wireless advertisement frame from the network, and in response, transmit a reflected wireless advertisement frame having the source address of the reachable node, the destination address to which the reachable node is to be advertised, a transmitter address of the access point, and a receiver address that indicates the reflected frame is to be accepted by any appropriate receiver excluding the transmitting node.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a node in a network, a four-address wireless advertisement frame comprising:
a first source address field that indicates a reachable node being advertised,a first destination address field that indicates a destination to which the reachable node is to be advertised,a first transmitter address field that indicates a transmitting node from which the four-address wireless advertisement frame is received, anda first receiver address field that indicates one or more excluded nodes which are to be excluded from accepting a reflected wireless advertisement frame; and upon determining that the node is not one of the one or more excluded nodes, transmitting a three-address wireless advertisement frame comprising:
a second source address field that indicates the reachable node being advertised,a second destination address field that indicates the destination to which the reachable node is to be advertised, anda second transmitter address field that indicates the node.