Facilitation of seamless security data transfer for wireless network devices

• US 10,070,312 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wolbach, Eric B., Bickerstaff, Robert W., Frias, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Schmidt, Karl L
• Application Number:
  US15/401,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Configuration and credential data associated with a wireless network can be stored by the wireless network or by a gateway device associated with the wireless network. The configuration and credential data can be accessed via a user profile and pushed to unauthenticated wireless devices to authenticate the unauthenticated wireless devices for the wireless network. The configuration and credential data can be backed up via a manual, automatic, or semi-automatic back-up process.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first gateway device comprising a processor, configuration data associated with a network device of a wireless network;

sending, by the first gateway device, the configuration data to a second gateway device;

in response to a first condition associated with a default back-up time being determined to have been satisfied, initiating, by the first gateway device, a back-up of the configuration data, resulting in back-up data comprising a first indication that the configuration data was sent to the second gateway device;

based on an authentication request from a third gateway device to authenticate the third gateway device, facilitating, by the first gateway device, a transmission of the back-up data to the third gateway device;

in response to the facilitating the transmission, prompting, by the first gateway device, to access a customer premises equipment account, associated with the third gateway device, to retrieve a configuration setting for the third gateway device applicable to a user identity associated with the customer premises equipment account; and

in response to a second indication that a second condition associated with the first gateway device has been satisfied, wherein the second condition comprises a determination that the network device is within a defined range from the third gateway device, sending, by the first gateway device, the configuration setting to the third gateway device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the authentication request comprises receiving user account data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user account data comprises identification data associated with an active customer premises equipment device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user account data comprises identification data associated with a dormant customer premises equipment device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting, by the first gateway device, an authentication of the third gateway device via the second gateway device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by the first gateway device, a validation of the authentication of the third gateway device via the second gateway device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying, by the first gateway device, the validation of the authentication of the third gateway device.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving, by the processor, wireless network configuration data associated with a network device of a wireless network and a first gateway device of the wireless network;

determining, by the processor, that a second gateway device is communicating with the network device of the wireless network;

in response to the determining that the second gateway device is communicating with the network device, initiating, by the processor, a first back-up, resulting in first back-up data, of the wireless network configuration data;

sending, by the processor, the first back-up data to a data structure associated with a first customer premises equipment account, resulting in an authentication validation of the second gateway device;

based on the authentication validation, initiating, by the processor, a second back-up of the wireless network configuration data, resulting in second back-up data, wherein the second back-up data comprises authentication data associated with the authentication validation;

sending, by the processor, the second back-up of the wireless network configuration data to the second gateway device; and

in response to the sending the second back-up and in response to a determination that the network device is within a defined range of a third gateway device, prompting, by the processor, with information directed to a user identity, for an action on behalf of the user identity to access a second customer premises equipment account, associated with the second gateway device, to retrieve a configuration setting for the third gateway device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by the processor, service set identifier data associated with the network device of the wireless network and the first gateway device of the wireless network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by the processor, a copy of the service set identifier data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the copy is received in response to reception of a user input.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

validating, by the processor, an internet protocol address of a mobile device of the wireless network via the second gateway device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

validating, by the processor, a user-credential of a mobile device of the wireless network via the second gateway device.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the wireless network configuration data comprises a pinhole setting.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving wireless network configuration data associated with a customer premises user account related to a first gateway device of a wireless network gateway;

initiating a first back-up of the wireless network configuration data in response to the receiving the wireless network configuration data, resulting in first back-up data;

receiving authentication data associated with an authentication of a second gateway device of the wireless network gateway, resulting in an authentication validation;

in response to the receiving the authentication data, initiating a second back-up, of the wireless network configuration data, at a predefined time resulting in second back-up data;

facilitating communication of the first gateway device with the second gateway device of the wireless network gateway; and

in response to the facilitating the communication and in response to a determination that a network device is within a range of a third gateway device, sending a request directed to a user identity to access a customer premises equipment account, associated with the second gateway device, to retrieve configuration settings for the third gateway device.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the authentication data comprises service set identification data of a wireless fidelity network associated with the first gateway device of the wireless network gateway.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the authentication data comprises password data of a wireless fidelity network associated with the customer premises user account.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the wireless network configuration data comprises dynamic internet protocol address data associated with the first gateway device of the wireless network gateway.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the receiving the wireless network configuration data comprises receiving a short message via a short message service.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the wireless network configuration data comprises port setting data associated with a port of the first gateway device of the wireless network gateway.