| 摘要 |
A Universal Repeater (UR) is configured to pair with an uplink in a network. The UR includes an interface configured to interface with an uplink along a selected route between the UR and an access point (AP) in a network; and a memory having machine executable code therein that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to determine the uplink based on data received from a plurality of candidate uplinks, and to instruct the interface to pair with the uplink (S1010). Preferably, a process S1000 commences at step S 1002, when the universal repeater is activated within a WLAN network and comes online. Then, the process moves to step S1004, whereby the universal repeater listens for 1 second for beacons using the same SSID. The process then moves to step S1006, whereby the universal repeater determines the BSSIDs of the devices, inluding a plurality of URs, operating in the WLAN and the end-to-end capacities from the devices operating in the WLAN to the Access Point (AP) gateway of the network.The process then determines a sorted list of end-to-end capacities for each of the devices at step S1008. Once the universal repeater has determined the sorted list, the universal repeater associates itself as a station (STA) to the device with the BSSID with the highest end-to-end capacity at step S 1010. The process then ends at step S 1012. The universal repeater may further determine the uplink based on a number of hops between the UR and the AP. Advantageously, a universal repeater that is introduced into a wireless network can dynamically associate with other parts of the network, thereby extending the range of the network whilst providing the most efficient throughput from that universal repeater to the network gateway. Beneficially, subsequently introduced universal repeaters in an extended network can form efficient chains of connection to a gateway. When the universal repeater has associated as a STA to the BSSID with the highest end-to-end capacity, third party devices are more easily able to integrate with the network, whilst benefitting from the optimised data throughput. |
