Wireless networks are increasingly employed to provide various communication functions including voice, video, packet data, messaging and the like. A common example of wireless local area network (WLAN) architecture is an infrastructure network adhering to 802.11 standards established by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) that typically employ one or more access points to coordinate communications for a number of stations or other client devices. In an infrastructure network, the access point and associated stations may be known as a basic service set (BSS).
Due to the wide availability, popularity and convenience of WLAN-based wireless communications, a wireless communications device may be within range of multiple WLANs at any given time. Often, very little information may be available to the wireless communications device regarding the quality of the network or the performance that may be expected regarding each WLAN. Indeed, the wireless communications device may only have information regarding the current signal strength of the network, the type of security being employed and, in some situations, the 802.11 protocols supported by the network that may indicate the theoretical maximum data rate. Thus, under conventional systems, choosing among the options may involve simply selecting a network identifier from a list on the basis of one or more of these criteria.
However, these criteria may not provide an adequate indicator of the network performance that may be expected. For example, a wireless communications device may be located close to a given access point, which may result in an indication that the network has excellent signal strength. However, if that access point is servicing a large number of other clients, or if other access points are operating on the same channel, performance of the network may be poor. Conversely, even if communications from another access point are received at reduced signal strength, when the WLAN served by that access point has few client devices with low activity, a wireless communications device may be able to utilize the WLAN at reasonable performance levels.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide systems and methods allowing a wireless communications device to determine the congestion present for networks within range. Further, it would be desirable for the wireless communications device to determine congestion on a unilateral basis, without requiring active involvement from other network devices. This disclosure satisfies these and other needs.