System and methods for providing multi-hop access in a communications network

• US 8,850,194 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Metke, Anthony R., LoGalbo, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): PYZOCHA, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US11/108,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20060236377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,451 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4, 713/168, 380/270
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A system and methods for providing a supplicant access to a communications network are disclosed. An authenticator receives an authentication request at an authenticator (210) from the supplicant. A state is created based on the authentication request at the authenticator (210). The authentication request is relayed towards a prime authenticator (215) where the prime authenticator is connected to an authentication server. Finally, the authenticator (215) receives authentication information from the prime authenticator and fulfills the authentication request using the authentication information.

Claims

1. A system for providing multi-hop access to a supplicant in a wireless communications network, the system comprising:

a supplicant identifying an authenticator and seeking authentication by sending an authentication request to the authenticator via said wireless communications network;

the authenticator to receive the authentication request from the supplicant, the authenticator creating a state on receiving the authentication request and determining if the authenticator will authenticate the supplicant based on a transmitter address included within the authentication request and a source address included within the authentication request;

a prime authenticator to receive the authentication request by way of a relay from the authenticator;

an authentication server connected to the prime authenticator to receive the authentication request from the authenticator;

the authentication server to generate an authentication information in response to the authentication request and to relay the authentication information via the prime authenticator to the authenticator; and

the authenticator to authenticate the supplicant using the authentication information by way of a four-way handshake, wherein the authenticator is in an indirect security relationship with the authentication server via the prime authenticator.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the system adheres to an ANSI/IEEE 802.11 standard.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the authentication request is described by the authentication processes in an ANSI/IEEE 802.1X standard.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the authenticator is connected to the prime authenticator via at least one other authenticator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the authenticator creates an additional state upon receiving the authentication information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication information comprises a pairwise master key.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the supplicant upon becoming authenticated becomes an authenticator.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the supplicant receives a new authentication request from a new node after being authenticated by the authenticator and wherein the supplicant determines if the supplicant will authenticate the new node for infrastructure access of the new node by comparing a transmitter address included within the new authentication request and a source address included within the new authentication request.