INDICATION OF URL PREREQUISTE TO NETWORK COMMUNICATION

• US 20120311150A1
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Koehler, Yannick
• Granted Patent: US 9,544,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A network device includes a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions causing the processor, after execution of the instructions by the processor, to detect the presence of a client connecting to a network and send a packet to the client indicating that access to a Universal Resource Locator (URL) is a prerequisite to the client communicating over the network in response to the client connecting to the network. The packet includes the URL.

Claims

1. A network device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions causing the processor, after execution of the instructions by the processor, to;

detect the presence of a client connecting to a network, and

send a packet to the client indicating that access to a Universal Resource Locator (URL) is a prerequisite to the client communicating over the network in response to the client connecting to the network, the packet including the URL.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the packet includes a network identifier.

3. The network device of claim 2, wherein the packet comprises a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) packet comprising a first option field including the network identifier and a second option field including the URL.

4. The network device of claim 2, wherein the packet comprises a Router Advertisement packet comprising a first option field including the network identifier and a second option field including the URL.

5. The network device of claim 2, wherein the packet comprises a non Internet Protocol (IP) packet including the network identifier and the URL.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the packet indicates that an authentication process is a prerequisite to the client communicating over the network.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device comprises one of a router and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device is configured to detect the presence of the client connecting to the network by receiving a management or data frame from the client.

9. A client comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions causing the processor, after execution of the instructions by the processor, to;

connect to a network, and

receive a packet from a network device indicating that access to a Universal Resource Locator (URL) is a prerequisite to the client communicating over the network in response to the client connecting to the network, the packet including the URL.

10. The client of claim 9, wherein the client is configured to send a non Internet Protocol (IP) packet requesting information about any network requirements.

11. The client of claim 9, wherein the client is configured to open a browser and access a sever page indicated by the URL.

12. The client of claim 9, wherein the packet comprises one of a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) packet comprising a first option field including a network identifier and a second option field including the URL, a Router Advertisement packet comprising a first option field including a network identifier and a second option field including the URL, and a non Internet Protocol (IP) packet including a network identifier and the URL.

13. A method for establishing communication over a network, the method comprising:

detecting, via a network device, the presence of a client connecting to the network; and

sending, in response to detecting the client, a packet from the network device to the client indicating that access to a Universal Resource Locator (URL) is a prerequisite to the client communicating over the network, the packet including the URL.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the packet includes a network identifier comprising a string indicating a name of the network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the packet comprises one of a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) packet comprising a first option field including the network identifier and a second option field including the URL, a Router Advertisement packet comprising a first option field including the network identifier and a second option field including the URL, and a non Internet Protocol (IP) packet including the network identifier and the URL.