Network authentication based on inter-packet gap characteristics

• US 20060191001A1
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Winter, Robert L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,574,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

Network communications in physical layer frame-based networks may be authenticated based on inter-packet gap (IPG) characteristics such as inter-packet gap length, inter-packet gap length pattern, information contained in the inter-packet gap, etc.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating network communications, comprising:

transmitting or receiving a first frame across a network;

wherein said first frame is transmitted or received with an inter-packet gap associated with said first frame, said inter-packet gap having one or more inter-packet gap characteristics; and

wherein said one or more inter-packet gap characteristics are employed as at least a part of an inter-packet gap authentication criteria for said network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first frame is preceded by said inter-packet gap;

and wherein said method comprises;

receiving said first frame and said associated inter-packet gap at a first network node, said first network node comprising an information handling system; and

using physical layer processing to authenticate said first frame based at least in part on said one or more characteristics of said inter-packet gap.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more characteristics of said inter-packet gap associated with said first frame comprises at least one of a length of said inter-packet gap, information included within said inter-packet gap, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more characteristics of said inter-packet gap associated with said first frame comprises a length of said inter-packet gap associated with said first frame relative to a length of an inter-packet gap associated with a second frame received at said network node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first frame is preceded by said inter-packet gap;

and wherein said method comprises;

receiving said first frame and said associated inter-packet gap at a first network node, said first network node comprising an information handling system;

examining said one or more inter-packet gap characteristics; and

accepting said first frame for further processing based on conformance of said one or more inter-packet gap characteristics with said authentication criteria of said network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first frame is preceded by said inter-packet gap;

and wherein said method comprises;

producing said inter-packet gap that is associated with said first frame at a first network node according to said inter-packet gap authentication criteria, said first network node comprising an information handling system; and

transmitting said first frame and said associated inter-packet gap across said network.

7. A method of processing information communicated across a network using a frame-based network protocol, comprising:

receiving a frame stream from across a network in a first information handling system configured as a first network node, said frame stream comprising one or more frames and inter-packet gaps having an inter-packet gap length, and each of said one or more frames being associated with one of said inter-packet gaps;

using physical layer processing to examine said inter-packet gap length associated with each of said one or more frames;

accepting a first frame of said one or more frames if said inter-packet gap length associated with said first frame is greater than or equal to a minimum inter-packet gap length specified for said network protocol, and if said inter-packet gap length associated with said first frame meets an inter-packet gap authentication criteria policy; and

rejecting said first frame associated with said one or more frames if said inter-packet gap length associated with said first frame does not meet said inter-packet gap authentication criteria policy.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said first frame is preceded by said inter-packet gap;

and wherein said inter-packet gap authentication criteria policy comprises a length threshold, specific length or a length window.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said first frame is preceded by said inter-packet gap;

and wherein said inter-packet gap authentication criteria policy comprises a length of said inter-packet gap of said first frame relative to a length of an inter-packet gap of a second frame received at said network node.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said first frame is preceded by said inter-packet gap;

and wherein said step of accepting further comprises sending said first frame to a MAC processing layer of said first network node for further processing.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said first frame is preceded by said inter-packet gap;

and wherein said method further comprises communicating said first frame from said first network node across said network to an information handling system configured as a second network node if said first frame is accepted by said first network node; and

not communicating said first frame from said first network node across said network to said second network node if said first frame is rejected by said first network node.

12. A network node system, comprising:

an information handling system configured to be coupled to a network as network node, said information handling system being configured to transmit or receive a first frame and inter-packet gap associated with said first frame across a network;

wherein said inter-packet gap has one or more inter-packet gap characteristics; and

wherein said one or more inter-packet gap characteristics are employed as at least a part of an inter-packet gap authentication criteria for said network.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said first frame is preceded by said inter-packet gap;

and wherein said information handling system is configured to use physical layer processing to authenticate said first frame based at least in part on said one or more characteristics of said inter-packet gap.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said first frame is preceded by said inter-packet gap;

and wherein said one or more characteristics of said inter-packet gap of said first frame comprises at least one of a length of said inter-packet gap, information included within said inter-packet gap, or a combination thereof.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said first frame is preceded by said inter-packet gap;

and wherein said one or more characteristics of said inter-packet gap of said first frame comprises a length of said inter-packet gap of said first frame relative to a length of an inter-packet gap preceding a second frame received at said network node.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said first frame is preceded by said inter-packet gap;

and wherein said information handling system is further configured to;

receive said first frame from across said network;

examine said one or more inter-packet gap characteristics; and

accept said first frame for further processing based on conformance of said one or more inter-packet gap characteristics with said authentication criteria of said network.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said first frame is preceded by said inter-packet gap;

and wherein said information handling system is further configured to;

produce said inter-packet gap associated with said first frame according to said inter-packet gap authentication criteria; and

transmit said inter-packet gap and said first frame across said network.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said first frame is preceded by said inter-packet gap;

and wherein said information handling system is further configured to;

receive a frame stream from across said network, said frame stream comprising one or more frames including said first frame, and each of said one or more frames being preceded by an inter-packet gap having an inter-packet gap length;

use physical layer processing to examine said inter-packet gap length preceding each of said one or more frames;

accept said first frame of said one or more frames for further processing if said inter-packet gap length preceding said first frame is greater than or equal to a minimum inter-packet gap length specified for said network protocol, and if said inter-packet gap length preceding said first frame meets an inter-packet gap authentication criteria policy; and

reject said first frame of said one or more frames if said inter-packet gap length preceding said first frame does not meet said inter-packet gap authentication criteria policy.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said inter-packet gap authentication criteria policy comprises a length threshold, specific length or a length window.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said inter-packet gap authentication criteria policy comprises a length of said inter-packet gap preceding said first frame relative to a length of an inter-packet gap preceding a second frame received at said network node.