System and method of configuring a network

• US 8,769,061 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2011
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nisc Affinegy, LLC
• Original Assignee: Affinegy, Inc. (National Information Solutions Cooperative Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lancaster, Arthur L., Simpler, Melissa G., Greer, Todd M.
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNISON, JERRY B
• Application Number:
  US13/278,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20120036240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-222
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Methods and systems for configuring a network are described. A method may include detecting, during installation of a software program on a computing device, a router coupled to the computing device. The software program may be executable by a processor to selectively initiate a connection to a network via the router based on a security level of the router The method may also include modifying the security level of the router to satisfy a threshold security level. The threshold security level may be specified by a service provider of the network.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

detect, during installation of a software program on a computing device, a router coupled to the computing device, wherein the software program is executable by the computing device to initiate a connection to a network provided by an internet service provider via the router based on a security level of the router;

receive security settings of the router including a router configuration password, a network access key, and a level of data encryption of the router;

detect whether the security level of the router satisfies a threshold security level specified by the internet service provider based on the security settings of the router;

in response to the security level of the router not satisfying the threshold security level, modify the security level of the router to satisfy the threshold security level;

monitor one or more properties of the connection; and

in response to detection of a change in the one or more properties, determine whether the router is connected to a different service provider than the service provider.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to transmit a message indicating the security level of the router to the service provider of the network.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, further comprising instructions, that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to provide an indication that the connection to the network is disabled when the security level of the router does not satisfy the threshold security level.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 3, further comprising instructions, that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to enable the connection to the network in response to determining that the security level of the router has been modified to satisfy the threshold security level.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more properties include an internet protocol (IP) address, a subnet address, a connection to a public network, a connection to a network of a service provider, or any combination thereof.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions, that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive settings of the router.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the settings of the router include a password, a network access key, a level of encryption, a firewall parameter, or any combination thereof.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the settings of the router include a file-sharing setting, a print-sharing setting, or any combination thereof.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining whether the router is connected to the different service provider is based on a comparison of a first subnet address associated with the service provider to a second subnet address of a detected IP address.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining whether the router is connected to the different service provider is based on a result of a trace route.

9. A method comprising:

detecting, at a processor during installation of a software program on a computing device, a router coupled to the computing device, wherein the software program is executable by a processor to selectively initiate a connection to a network provided by an internet service provider via the router based on a security level of the router;

receiving security settings of the router including a router configuration password, a network access key, and a level of data encryption of the router;

detecting whether the security level of the router satisfies a threshold security level specified by the internet service provider based on the security settings of the router;

in response to the security level of the router not satisfying the threshold security level, modifying the security level of the router to satisfy the threshold security level;

monitoring one or more properties of the connection;

in response to detection of a change in the one or more properties, determining whether the router is connected to a different service provider than the service provider; and

in response to determining that the router is connected to the different service provider, notifying a user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting a message indicating the security level of the router to the service provider of the network.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing an indication that the security level of the router is below the threshold security level and that the security level is to be increased to permit access to the network.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising initiating the connection to the network in response to modifying the security level of the router to satisfy the threshold security level.

13. A system comprising:

a transceiver;

a processor coupled to the transceiver; and

a memory accessible to the processor, the memory including instructions executable by the processor to;

detect, during installation of a software program on a computing device, a router coupled to the computing device, wherein the software program is configured for execution by the processor to selectively initiate a connection to a network provided by an internet service provider via the router based on a security level of the router;

receive security settings of the router including a router configuration password, a network access key, and a level of data encryption of the router;

detect whether the security level of the router satisfies a threshold security level specified by the internet service provider based on the security settings of the router;

in response to the security level of the router not satisfying the threshold security level, modify the security level of the router to satisfy a threshold security level specified by the internet service provider; and

in response to a change in the security level of the router, send a router security setting configuration option to a user based on a security capability of the router, wherein the change in the security level of the router indicates that an internet protocol (IP) address of the router has switched from a public IP address to a private IP address.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to modify the security level of the router to satisfy the threshold are further executable by the processor to configure a firewall, wherein the security level of the router is determined based at least in part on a configuration of the firewall.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the firewall is a stateful packet inspection (SPI) firewall.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to:

provide an indication that the connection to the network is disabled based on the security level of the router not satisfying the threshold security level;

enable the connection to the network in response to determination that the security level of the router has been modified to satisfy the threshold security level; and

monitor the connection for changes to the security level of the router.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to, in response to a change in the security level of the router, verify the connection to the network, wherein the connection to the network is verified based on a result of a trace route, a response received after sending a packet to a specified address, a result of a ping of the router, or any combination thereof.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to, in response to a change in the security level of the router, verify the connection to the network based on an identification of a service provider associated with the network, wherein the service provider is identified based on a comparison of a subnet address associated with a first IP address to a subnet address associated with a second IP address.