US-12628007-B2 - Enhanced network reliability and/or boosted network speed

US12628007B2US 12628007 B2US12628007 B2US 12628007B2US-12628007-B2

Abstract

Various embodiments of apparatuses, systems (e.g., a gateway device) and/or methods are described for correcting failover or latency issues of a network connection. In this disclosure, a gateway device determines whether a first connection between the gateway device and a first wide area network has a network outage. Network latency is determined for the first connection between the gateway device and the first wide area network, and such network latency is compared with a predefined threshold. In response to the network latency being above the predefined threshold or in response to determining that there is the network outage, a second wide area network is used via a computing device to create a second connection between the end devices and the second wide area network, and data is sent between the end devices using the second connection.

Inventors

Luke VanDuyn
Caroline Condon
William Michael Beals

Assignees

DISH NETWORK L.L.C.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20211126

Claims (12)

1 . A method comprising: enabling, by a gateway device that connects end devices to a first wide area network, a near field communication (NFC) tag contained in the gateway device to transmit data, wherein the data instructs a computing device on how to share information with the gateway device regarding a wireless local area network (WLAN) of the computing device; establishing, by the gateway device, a NFC connection with the computing device, wherein the gateway device establishes the NFC connection with the computing device in response to placement of the gateway device and the computing device within a predetermined distance of each other, wherein the computing device is connected to the internet using a second wide area network, including: transmitting, by the gateway device via the NFC tag, the data that instructs the computing device on how to share the information with the gateway device regarding the WLAN of the computing device; obtaining, by the gateway device and using the NFC connection, the information for the WLAN of the computing device, the information including an identifier and a password for the WLAN of the computing device; and storing, by the gateway device, the identifier and the password for the WLAN of the computing device; terminating the NFC connection between the gateway device and the computing device; after terminating the NFC connection, determining, by the gateway device, that a first connection between the gateway device and the first wide area network has a network outage or that a network latency for the first connection is greater than a predefined threshold; in response to determining that the network latency is greater than the predefined threshold or in response to determining that there is the network outage: using, by the gateway device, the identifier and the password to access the WLAN of the computing device; automatically sending, by the gateway device, a request to the computing device via the WLAN for a user of the computing device to accept or decline use of a second connection between the gateway device and the computing device as a redundant connection by the gateway device; and sending information to the computing device indicating that network connectivity over the first wide area network is degraded; and in response to the user accepting the request to use the second connection, providing internet access to the end devices so that the end devices receive internet via the second wide area network from the computing device; and in response to the user declining the request to the use of the second connection, refraining from providing the internet access to the end devices via the second wide area network from the computing device.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising pairing the computing device with the gateway device using the NFC connection prior to sending the request, wherein the NFC connection is different from the second connection.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising: automatically establishing the NFC connection between the computing device and the gateway device when the computing device is placed within a predetermined distance from the gateway device; and automatically performing the requesting after establishing the NFC connection.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first connection is determined to have the network outage, and wherein the computing device comprises a first end device of the end devices, and the gateway device requests the first end device to act as a second gateway device between the end devices and the second wide area network.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first end device comprises an access point and a radio of the access point is used as a transmitter to transmit data between the second wide area network and the gateway device.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising: determining a data threshold that is less than a reserve data package; and in response to current data usage within a recurring period being greater than or equal to the data threshold, disabling non-critical functions once the data threshold is met for a recurring period while allowing data communications with critical functions.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: after the second connection is established and data is transmitted to the end devices using the second connection, determining that there is no longer the network outage for the first connection; and transmitting data using the first connection so that the second connection does not transmit data between the end devices and the second wide area network.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: prior to establishing the second connection between the end devices and the second wide area network, transmitting data between a content source and the end devices using the first connection; and after the second connection is established between the end devices and the second wide area network, only transmitting data between the end devices and the content source using the second connection.
9 . A system comprising: a plurality of end devices; and a gateway device that connects the plurality of end devices to a first wide area network and that has a first connection to the first wide area network, wherein the plurality of end devices comprising a computing device that has a second connection to the internet via a second wide area network, the gateway device including: a near field communication (NFC) tag that transmits data to the computing device, wherein the data instructs the computing device on how to share information with the gateway device regarding a wireless local area network (WLAN) of the computing device; and wherein the gateway device is configured for: receiving a query from the computing device; in response to receiving the query, establishing a near field communication (NFC) connection with the computing device, wherein the gateway device establishes the NFC connection with the computing device in response to placement of the gateway device and the computing device within a predetermined distance of each other, including: transmitting, via the NFC tag, the data that instructs the computing device on how to share the information with the gateway device regarding the WLAN of the computing device; obtaining, using the NFC connection, the information for the WLAN of the computing device, the information including a password for the WLAN of the computing device; and storing the password for the WLAN of the computing device; terminating the NFC connection with the computing device; sending internet data between the gateway device and each of the plurality of end devices via the first connection between the gateway device and the first wide area network; after terminating the NFC connection, determining network latency for the first connection is greater than a predefined threshold; in response to determining that the network latency is greater than the predefined threshold: using, by the gateway device, the password to access the WLAN of the computing device; automatically sending, by the gateway device, a request to the computing device via the WLAN for a user of the computing device to accept or decline use of the second connection by the gateway device; and sending information to the computing device indicating that network connectivity over the first wide area network is degraded; and in response to the user accepting the request to use the second connection, providing internet access to the end devices over the second connection between the computing device and the second wide area network, so that internet data communications is trafficked using both the first and second connections to reduce the network latency; and in response to the user declining the request to the use of the second connection, refraining from providing the internet access to the end devices via the second wide area network from the computing device.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the gateway device is configured for: requesting the computing device to act as a second gateway device, wherein the second connection and first connection both transmit data to and from the end devices.
11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the gateway device is configured for: adding bandwidths of the first connection and the second connection.
12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the gateway device is configured for: bandwidth stacking of the first connection and the second connection.

Description

BACKGROUND Currently, receiving internet at users' devices has become a mainstay in our personal lives and for our business careers. However, this internet connection sometimes has latency issues, especially through internet communication via high Earth orbit geostationary satellites, which may be the only connection available in rural or underserved areas. The latency of satellite internet is due to the great distance and the finite propagation speed of electromagnetic signals between a transceiver on Earth and the satellite. This latency can be significantly increased for various reasons, such as poor visibility, loss of line of sight communications, poor weather conditions, etc. Another frustration that users currently have with their internet access is that the user's primary internet connection sometimes fails. The user will then not have internet access until the internet connection is back up. Finally, during times of heavy usage, such as when multiple members of the household are doing bandwidth-intensive activities simultaneously, the user's home internet connection may not be fast enough to support all activities at once. SUMMARY Some embodiments described herein generally provide apparatuses, systems and methods to create, using a short range connection to pair a computing device to a gateway device and then the computing device distributes internet it receives through its connection with a wide area network (WAN) using a temporary redundant connection with the gateway device. This redundant connection will help mitigate the problem stated above and eliminate intermittent network loss. Additionally, other various embodiments described herein generally provide apparatus, systems and methods to configure a local area network (LAN) gateway device to change an existing client device on the LAN to be a temporary hotspot using the client device's Wi-Fi radio, and the LAN gateway device then would redirect all WAN traffic for the LAN through the repurposed client in hotspot mode. Various embodiments of apparatuses, systems (e.g., a gateway device) and/or methods are described for network speed and reliability boost. A gateway device, which connects end devices and a first wide area network, determines whether a first connection between the gateway device and the first wide area network has a network outage. The gateway device determines network latency for the first connection between the gateway device and the first wide area network. The network latency is compared with a predefined threshold. In response to the network latency being above the predefined threshold or in response to determining that there is the network outage, a second wide area network is used via a computing device to create a second connection between the end devices and the second wide area network. Data is sent between the end devices via the second connection. According to one embodiment, a system includes: a gateway device that connects end devices and a first wide area network, and a plurality of access points that comprises a first access point comprising a radio. The gateway device is configured for determining, by the gateway device, that a network outage has occurred between the gateway device and the first wide area network; and in response to the network outage occurring, setting a radio for the first access point from access point mode to client mode. The first access point is configured for, in response to the radio associated with the first access point being set to client mode, transmitting data between the second wide area network to the gateway device which forwards the transmissions to the end devices. According to one embodiment, a gateway device that connects end devices and a first wide area network; and a plurality of end devices that comprises a first end device and the plurality of end devices. The gateway device is configured for determining network latency for a first connection between the gateway device and the first wide area network; comparing the network latency with a predefined threshold; in response to the network latency being above the predefined threshold, requesting data transfers using a second wide area network through the first end device to create a second connection between the end devices and the second wide area network; and sending data between both the first and second connections to reduce the network latency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The same number represents the same element or same type of element in all drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a system for network for data communications. FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a system for enhanced network reliability and/or boosted network speed. FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a gateway device of the embodiment of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 illustrates a method for enhanced network reliability and/or boosted network speed according to some embodiments. FIG. 5 illustrates embodiments of a system for enhanced network reliabili