Methods and apparatus for secure cable modem provisioning

• US 7,739,359 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Krishnan, Raman, Phan, Tin, de Jesus Leano, Chrisanto, Millet, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates; Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Van Kim T
• Application Number:
  US10/242,375
• Time in Patent Office: 2,833 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/225, 709/226, 709/228, 709/229, 725/111, 725/119
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2861 Point-to-multipoint connection from the data network to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for enhancing security and features during cable modem configuration. According to various embodiments, a cable network head end is configured to ensure that a cable modem subscriber registers with its assigned configuration profile. Techniques for verifying parameters in a received configuration profile, enhancing authentication, preventing access to provisioning servers, securing communications, and enhancing feature sets are provided.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a cable modem, the method comprising:

receiving a configuration server address request from a cable modem;

forwarding the configuration server address request from the cable modem to an address server;

receiving a configuration server address offer from the address server, wherein the configuration server address offer includes the address of a configuration server;

replacing the address of the configuration server with the address of the head end at the head end, wherein the address is replaced in the configuration server address offer received from the address server;

forwarding the modified configuration server address offer to the cable modem, wherein the modified configuration server address offer configures the cable modem to send a quality of service profile request to the head end instead of to the configuration server;

sending a configuration profile request to the configuration server on behalf of the cable modem;

receiving a configuration profile reply from the configuration server, wherein the configuration profile reply includes a configuration profile and authentication information;

verifying that the authentication information is valid.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an acknowledge to the configuration server after receiving the configuration profile reply.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration profile includes quality of service information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the configuration server is a TFTP server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the address server is a DHCP server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the configuration profile reply includes a DOCSIS configuration file.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the authentication information is an MD5 hash sequence.

8. A cable modem head end, comprising:

a first interface coupled to a plurality of cable modems, the first interface configured to receive a configuration server address request from a cable modem;

a second interface coupled to an address server, the second interface configured to forward the configuration server address request from the cable modem to the address server and receive a configuration server address offer from the address server, wherein the configuration server address offer includes the address of a configuration server;

a processor configured to replace the address of the configuration server with the address of the head end;

wherein the first interface is further configured to forward the modified configuration server address offer to the cable modem, wherein the modified configuration server address offer configures the cable modem to send a quality of service profile request to the head end instead of to the configuration server;

wherein the second interface is further configured to send a configuration profile request to the configuration server on behalf of the cable modem and receive a configuration profile reply from the configuration server, wherein the configuration profile reply includes a configuration profile and authentication information; and

wherein the processor is further configured to verify that the authentication information is valid.

9. A cable modem head end, comprising:

means for receiving a configuration server address request from a cable modem;

means for forwarding the configuration server address request from the cable modem to an address server;

means for receiving a configuration server address offer from the address server, wherein the configuration server address offer includes the address of a configuration server;

means for replacing the address of the configuration server with the address of the head end;

means for forwarding the modified configuration server address offer to the cable modem, wherein the modified configuration server address offer configures the cable modem to send a quality of service profile request to the head end instead of to the configuration server;

means for sending a configuration profile request to the configuration server on behalf of the cable modem;

means for receiving a configuration profile reply from the configuration server, wherein the configuration profile reply includes a configuration profile and authentication information; and

means for verifying that the authentication information is valid.

10. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer code for configuring a cable modem, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

computer code for receiving a configuration server address request from a cable modem;

computer code for forwarding the configuration server address request from the cable modem to an address server;

computer code for receiving a configuration server address offer from the address server, wherein the configuration server address offer includes the address of a configuration server;

computer code for replacing the address of the configuration server with the address of the head end at the head end, wherein the address is replaced in the configuration server address offer received from the address server;

computer code for forwarding the modified configuration server address offer to the cable modem, wherein the modified configuration server address offer configures the cable modem to send a quality of service profile request to the head end instead of to the configuration server;

computer code for sending a configuration profile request to the configuration server on behalf of the cable modem;

computer code for receiving a configuration profile reply from the configuration server, wherein the configuration profile reply includes a configuration profile and authentication information;

computer code for verifying that the authentication information is valid.