CACHING A PAIRWISE MASTER KEY FOR DROPPED WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK (WLAN) CONNECTIONS TO PREVENT RE-AUTHENTICATION

• US 20170265070A1
• Filed: 03/14/2016
• Published: 09/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: PATEL, Pritesh, XU, Youjian, TEN EYCK, David H., GAMBOA, Aldrich
• Granted Patent: US 10,111,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

A device may determine that a first wireless local area network (WLAN) connection, established with a first WLAN access point using an extensible authentication protocol, has been dropped. The device may store a pairwise master key identifier, associated with the first WLAN access point, based on determining that the first WLAN connection has been dropped. The device may detect a WLAN signal, associated with the first WLAN access point or a second WLAN access point, after determining that the first WLAN connection has been dropped. The device may provide the pairwise master key identifier to the first WLAN access point or the second WLAN access point based on detecting the WLAN signal. The device may establish a second WLAN connection with the first WLAN access point or the second WLAN access point based on providing the pairwise master key identifier and without re-authenticating using the extensible authentication protocol.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

one or more processors to;

determine that a first wireless local area network (WLAN) connection, established with a first WLAN access point using an extensible authentication protocol, has been dropped;

store a pairwise master key identifier, associated with the first WLAN access point, based on determining that the first WLAN connection has been dropped;

detect a WLAN signal, associated with the first WLAN access point or a second WLAN access point, after determining that the first WLAN connection has been dropped;

provide the pairwise master key identifier to the first WLAN access point or the second WLAN access point based on detecting the WLAN signal; and

establish a second WLAN connection with the first WLAN access point or the second WLAN access point based on providing the pairwise master key identifier and without re-authenticating using the extensible authentication protocol.

2. The device of claim 1, where the WLAN signal is associated with the first WLAN access point;

where the one or more processors, when providing the pairwise master key identifier, are to;

provide the pairwise master key identifier to the first WLAN access point; and

where the one or more processors, when establishing the second WLAN connection, are to;

establish the second WLAN connection with the first WLAN access point.

3. The device of claim 1, where the WLAN signal is associated with the second WLAN access point;

where the one or more processors, when providing the pairwise master key identifier, are to;

provide the pairwise master key identifier to the second WLAN access point; and

where the one or more processors, when establishing the second WLAN connection, are to;

establish the second WLAN connection with the second WLAN access point.

4. The device of claim 3, where the first WLAN access point and the second WLAN access point are associated with a same mobility domain.

5. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

prevent storage, by the device, of an additional pairwise master key identifier while the pairwise master key identifier is stored by the device.

6. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when providing the pairwise master key identifier, are to:

provide the pairwise master key identifier in an 802.11 Association Request message.

7. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine that a threshold amount of time has elapsed since storing the pairwise master key identifier; and

delete the pairwise master key identifier from memory based on determining that the threshold amount of time has elapsed.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

determine that a first wireless local area network (WLAN) connection, established with a first WLAN access point using an 802.11X extensible authentication protocol, has been dropped;

store a pairwise master key identifier, associated with the first WLAN access point, based on determining that the first WLAN connection has been dropped;

receive a message, associated with the first WLAN access point or a second WLAN access point, after determining that the first WLAN connection has been dropped;

provide the pairwise master key identifier to the first WLAN access point or the second WLAN access point based on receiving the probe response; and

establish a second WLAN connection with the first WLAN access point or the second WLAN access point based on providing the pairwise master key identifier and without performing re-authentication using the 802.11X extensible authentication protocol.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the first WLAN access point and the second WLAN access point are controlled by a same WLAN controller.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where providing the pairwise master key identifier prevents the re-authentication using the 802.11X extensible authentication protocol.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where determining that the first WLAN connection has been dropped does not include detecting a handover from the first WLAN access point to the second WLAN access point.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the first WLAN connection and the second WLAN connection are established according to an 802.11r protocol.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the pairwise master key identifier includes a pairwise master key.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to provide the pairwise master key identifier, cause the one or more processors to:

provide the pairwise master key identifier in association with an Association Request message.

15. A method, comprising:

determining, by a device, that a first wireless local area network (WLAN) connection, established between the device and a first WLAN access point using an extensible authentication protocol, has been dropped;

caching, by the device, a pairwise master key identifier associated with the first WLAN access point;

detecting, by the device, a WLAN signal, associated with the first WLAN access point or a second WLAN access point, after determining that the first WLAN connection has been dropped;

providing, by the device, the pairwise master key identifier to the first WLAN access point or the second WLAN access point based on detecting the WLAN signal; and

causing a second WLAN connection to be established between the device and the first WLAN access point or the second WLAN access point based on providing the pairwise master key identifier and without causing the device to be re-authenticated using the extensible authentication protocol.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that a threshold amount of time has elapsed since caching the pairwise master key identifier; and

deleting the pairwise master key identifier from memory based on determining that the threshold amount of time has elapsed.

17. The method of claim 16, where the threshold amount of time is greater than or equal to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) lease timer.

18. The method of claim 15, where providing the pairwise master key identifier comprises:

providing the pairwise master key identifier in an Association Request message associated with an 802.11 protocol.

19. The method of claim 15, where providing the pairwise master key identifier prevents the device from being re-authenticated using the extensible authentication protocol.

20. The method of claim 15, where the WLAN signal is associated with the second WLAN access point;

where providing the pairwise master key identifier comprises;

providing the pairwise master key identifier to the second WLAN access point; and

where causing the second WLAN connection to be established comprises;

causing the second WLAN connection to be established with the second WLAN access point,

the second WLAN access point and the first WLAN access point being controlled by a same controller device.