EP-4742616-A1 - DISTRIBUTED NETWORK SYSTEM, CONTROLLING METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

Abstract

This disclosure provides a distributed network system, a controlling method for a primary network device, and corresponding computer program product. The distributed network system may include a primary network device connected to an external node through a first access component; and one or more secondary network devices separated from the primary network device, wherein each secondary network device is connectable to the external node through a second access component different from the first access component, wherein at least one backhaul link is established between the primary network device and each secondary network device, and wherein each secondary network device is configured to route data streams from a terminal and destined for the external node to the primary network device through the at least one backhaul link.

Inventors

• QIU, Xinyao

Assignees

• TP-Link Systems Inc.

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20251023

Claims (15)

1. A distributed network system operating in a local area network, comprising: a primary network device connected to an external node through a first access component; and one or more secondary network devices separated from the primary network device, wherein each secondary network device is connectable to the external node through a second access component different from the first access component, wherein at least one backhaul link is established between the primary network device and each secondary network device, and wherein each secondary network device is configured to route data streams from a terminal and destined for the external node to the primary network device through the at least one backhaul link.
2. The distributed network system of claim 1, wherein the primary network device is configured to: route data streams destined for the external node to at least one secondary network device among the one or more secondary network devices through at least one virtual private network (VPN) tunnel between the primary network device and the at least one secondary network device, in response to a failure of a connection of the primary network device to the external node through the first access component, and wherein each of the at least one secondary network device is configured to: route data streams from the primary network device to the external node through its second access component.
3. The distributed network system of claim 2, wherein routing data streams destined for the external node to at least one secondary network device among the one or more secondary network devices through at least one VPN tunnel between the primary network device and the at least one secondary network device comprises: selecting the at least one secondary network device from the one or more secondary network devices based on network characteristics of the one or more secondary network devices; assigning the data streams among the at least one secondary network device; and routing the data streams to the at least one secondary network device according to the assigning through the at least one VPN tunnel.
4. The distributed network system of claim 3, wherein the network characteristics of a secondary network device comprise at least one of a signal strength, a packet loss, latency and bandwidth of the secondary network device.
5. The distributed network system of claim 3, wherein selecting the at least one secondary network device from the one or more secondary network devices is further based on characteristics of the data streams.
6. The distributed network system of claim 5, wherein characteristics of a data stream comprise at least one of a latency sensitivity, a bandwidth requirement and a packet loss rate requirement of the data stream.
7. The distributed network system of claim 2, wherein a VPN tunnel is established between the primary network device and each secondary network device in response to the failure of the connection of the primary network device to the external node.
8. The distributed network system of claim 2, wherein the at least one secondary network device is configured to: route data streams from the external node to the primary network device through the at least one VPN channel.
9. The distributed network system of claim 1, wherein the primary network device is configured to route, data streams destined for a terminal connected to a first secondary network device among the one or more secondary network devices, to the first secondary network device through the at least one backhaul link between the primary network device and the first secondary network device.
10. The distributed network system of claim 1, wherein each secondary network device connects to the external node through the second access component in response to determining a failure of a connection of the primary network device to the external node through the first access component.
11. The distributed network system of claim 1, wherein the first access component comprises a wired access component or a wireless access component.
12. The distributed network system of claim 1, wherein the second access component comprises at least one of a cellular network access component, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access component or a wired access component.
13. The distributed network system of claim 2, wherein a VPN tunnel between the primary network device and each secondary network device is established based on a point to point tunneling protocol (PPTP), a layer 2 tunneling protocol (L2TP), a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) tunneling protocol, a WireGuard protocol or an OpenVPN protocol.
14. A controlling method for a primary network device operating in a local area network, comprising: routing, data streams destined for an external node, to the external node through a first access component, in response to a success of a connection of the primary network device to the external node through the first access component; and routing, the data streams destined for the external node, to at least one secondary network device among one or more secondary network devices, in response to a failure of the connection of the primary network device to the external node through the first access component, wherein the one or more secondary network devices are separated from the primary network device, and each secondary network device is connectable to the external node through a second access component different from the first access component.
15. A computer program product for a primary network device operating in a local area network, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor of the primary network device to cause the processor to: route, data streams destined for an external node, to the external node through a first access component, in response to a success of a connection of the primary network device to the external node through the first access component; and route, the data streams destined for the external node, to at least one secondary network device among one or more secondary network devices through at least one virtual private network (VPN) tunnel between the primary network device and the at least one secondary network device, in response to a failure of the connection of the primary network device to the external node through the first access component, wherein the one or more secondary network devices are separated from the primary network device, and each secondary network device is connectable to the external node through a second access component different from the first access component.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This Patent application claims priority of the U.S. Patent Application No. 18/939,817, filed on November 7, 2024, and titled "DISTRIBUTED NETWORK SYSTEM, CONTROLLING METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT", the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as part of the present application. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to the field of local area network, and more specifically, to a distributed network system operating in a local area network, a controlling method for a primary network device operating in a local area network and a computer program product. BACKGROUND CPE (Customer Premise Equipment) refers to a kind of equipment that can convert mobile communication signals or wired broadband signals into local LAN (local area network) signals for user equipment. CPE is usually located at the user end, such as home or enterprise, and plays the role of connecting the user equipment with the network, for example, the Internet. SUMMARY The present disclosure provides techniques for allowing users or terminals to access an external node with higher signal quality. The external node referred to herein may be a wide area network, the Internet, an external server, a website, a web page, a video stream, among other examples. In particular, the present disclosure provides a distributed network system operating in a local area network, a controlling method for a primary network device operating in a local area network and a computer program product. Through the techniques described herein, the distributed network system can be ensured to provide a good access quality and a "transparent switching" of the network devices in the distributed network system can be achieved. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a distributed network system operating in a local area network. The distributed network system can comprise a primary network device connected to an external node through a first access component; and one or more secondary network devices separated from the primary network device. Each secondary network device is connectable to the external node through a second access component different from the first access component. At least one backhaul link is established between the primary network device and each secondary network device. Each secondary network device can be configured to route data streams from a terminal and destined for the external node to the primary network device through the at least one backhaul link. In some embodiments, the primary network device can be configured to route, data streams destined for the external node, to at least one secondary network device among the one or more secondary network devices through at least one virtual private network (VPN) tunnel between the primary network device and the at least one secondary network device, in response to a failure of a connection of the primary network device to the external node through the first access component. Each of the at least one secondary network device can be configured to route data streams from the primary network device to the external node through its second access component. In some embodiments, routing data streams destined for the external node to at least one secondary network device among the one or more secondary network devices through at least one VPN tunnel between the primary network device and the at least one secondary network device can comprises: selecting the at least one secondary network device from the one or more secondary network devices based on network characteristics of the one or more secondary network devices; assigning the data streams among the at least one secondary network device; and routing the data streams to the at least one secondary network device according to the assigning through the at least one VPN tunnel. In some embodiments, the network characteristics of a secondary network device can comprise at least one of a signal strength, a packet loss, latency and bandwidth of the secondary network device. In some embodiments, selecting the at least one secondary network device from the one or more secondary network devices can be further based on characteristics of the data streams. In some embodiments, characteristics of a data stream can comprise at least one of a latency sensitivity, a bandwidth requirement and a packet loss rate requirement of the data stream. In some embodiments, a VPN tunnel can be established between the primary network device and each secondary network device in response to the failure of the connection of the primary network device to the external node. In some embodiments, the at least one secondary network device can be configured to route data streams from the external node to the primary network device through the at least one VPN channel. In some embodiments, the primary network device can be configured to route, data streams destined for a terminal connec