Dynamic passing of wireless configuration parameters

• US 20070147318A1
• Filed: 12/27/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Zimmer, Vincent, Ross, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,580,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0838 using one-time-passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/73 Access point logical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses allow for wireless configuration parameters to be passed to a client to enable the client to configure a wireless network interface to connect to a wireless network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending an access request from a client to an access server of a closed wireless network, the client lacking configuration information to enable accessing the wireless network through a wireless access point of the wireless network;

receiving at the client from the access server wireless configuration parameters including a wireless access point identifier; and

configuring a wireless interface of the client with the received wireless configuration parameters to connect to the wireless access point to enable obtaining access to the wireless network.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein sending the access request comprises sending the access request with an agent that operates outside the context of a host operating system of the client.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein sending the access request comprises sending the access request prior to completion of an initialization procedure of the client.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein sending the access request comprises sending the access request over a wired connection to the access server.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein sending the access request comprises transmitting the access request wirelessly.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein sending the access request comprises sending a layer-2 authentication request.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the layer-2 authentication request comprises a request according to a protocol compliant with the extensible authentication protocol (EAP).

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing the configuration parameters in a secure storage outside the context of a host operating system of the client.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the wireless configuration parameters comprises receiving one of multiple dynamically generated service set identifiers (SSIDs).

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein receiving the dynamically generated SSID comprises receiving an individualized SSID that functions for access only to the requesting client.

11. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-accessible medium having content to provide instructions, which when executed result in a machine performing operations including:

sending a layer-2 access request for access to a wireless network that does not broadcast wireless access point identifiers, the request sent prior to completion of a boot process of a client device;

receiving wireless configuration information in response to the request, the wireless configuration information including a wireless access point identifier; and

configuring a wireless interface according to the received wireless configuration information to connect to the identified wireless access point to engage in authentication to access the wireless network.

12. An article of manufacture according to claim 11, the wireless configuration information further including a virtual local area network (VLAN) assignment.

13. An article of manufacture according to claim 12, wherein the VLAN assignment comprising a quarantine VLAN.

14. A system comprising:

a wireless interface to communicate with a wireless access point of a wireless network;

an Ethernet port having a wired connection to an access server of the wireless network;

a memory having instructions stored thereon to define operations including sending a request to the access server over the wired connection to request access to the wireless network, receiving in response to the request wireless configuration parameters to enable wireless connectivity to the wireless access point, and passing the wireless configuration parameters to the wireless interface to result in the wireless interface employing the configuration parameters to communicate with the wireless access point; and

a processor, coupled with the memory to execute the instructions.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein sending the request comprises sending the request prior to booting the system.

16. A system according to claim 14, wherein the memory and the processor comprise elements of the system that are inaccessible to a main operating system of the system.

17. A method comprising:

receiving an access request compatible with the remote authentication dial-in user service (RADIUS) protocol, the access request a conversion of an access request compatible with the extensible authentication protocol (EAP), from a client device that lacks wireless access configuration settings to connect to a wireless network;

assigning a service set identifier (SSID) to the client device in response to the request; and

transmitting the response to the client to enable the client device to provide the wireless configuration parameters to the client to enable the client device to enable a wireless access point of the wireless network.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein receiving the access request further comprises receiving from the client to one-time-use password to indicate the client device lacks the wireless access configuration.

19. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

dynamically creating SSIDs;

wherein assigning the SSID to the client device comprises assigning one of the dynamically created SSIDs to the client device.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein dynamically creating the SSID comprises dynamically creating an SSID unique to the client device, the method further comprising:

monitoring traffic associated with the SSID to determine if the client device complies with a network security policy.