Apparatus and method for authenticating user for network access in communication system

• US 20060070116A1
• Filed: 08/22/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Hyun-Ah
• Application Number:
  US11/207,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20060070116A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• 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 63/162 at the data link layer

Abstract

An apparatus for authenticating a user for network access in a communication system comprises: an input module contained in a subscriber terminal for receiving and transferring identification information and a password for network access from a user; an authentication supplicant contained in network equipment for requesting network access authentication for the identification information and password transferred from the input module; an authentication server for storing information related to the network access authentication, and for performing authentication to determine whether to permit the subscriber terminal to access a network in response to the authentication request; and a protocol authenticator for performing protocol processing between the authentication supplicant and the authentication server. A corresponding method is disclosed. Thus, it is possible to authenticate subscriber terminals for network access without the installation, by an Internet service provider, of specific software (e.g., a supplicant program) in all of the subscriber terminals.

Claims

1. An apparatus for authenticating a user for network access in a communication system, comprising:

an input module contained in a subscriber terminal for receiving from a user and transferring identification information and a password for network access;

an authentication supplicant contained in network equipment for requesting network access authentication for the subscriber terminal based on the identification information and the password transferred by the input module;

an authentication server for storing information related to the network access authentication, and for performing authentication to determine whether to permit the subscriber terminal to access a network in response to the request for network access authentication; and

a protocol authenticator for performing protocol processing between the authentication supplicant and the authentication server.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the authentication supplicant and the protocol authenticator are located in a single network equipment.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the authentication supplicant and the protocol authenticator are located in different network equipment interconnected through one of a local area network (LAN) a digital subscriber line (DSL) and a wide area network (WAN).

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the subscriber terminal comprises one of a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a notebook computer, and a home gateway.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the network equipment comprises one of an Ethernet switch and a digital subscriber line access multiplexer.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the authentication server comprises an authentication database for storing the information related to the network access authentication.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the authentication database stores a plurality of valid passwords and identification information.

8. A method for authenticating a user for network access in a communication system containing network equipment and an authentication supplicant, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at the authentication supplicant, identification information and a password for network access from a subscriber terminal;

sending, by means of the authentication supplicant, the identification information and the password to an authentication server so as to request network access authentication of the subscriber terminal; and

receiving, at the authentication supplicant, from the authentication server an authentication result relative to the subscriber terminal.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of controlling, by means of the authentication supplicant, the network access for the subscriber terminal based on the authentication result relative to the subscriber terminal.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of receiving the identification information and the password comprises:

displaying, at the authentication supplicant, a web-authentication window on the subscriber terminal; and

inputting the identification information and the password using the web-authentication window displayed on the subscriber terminal.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the identification information and the password are received over the network.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the subscriber terminal comprises one of a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a notebook computer, and a home gateway.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the network equipment comprises one of an Ethernet switch and a digital subscriber line access multiplexer.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the authentication server comprises an authentication database for storing the information related to the network access authentication.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the authentication database stores a plurality of valid passwords and identification information.