Sprint Communications Comapny L.p.

Lee Alan Schnitzer

John M Gatewood

Bhanu Prakash Voruganti

Sharon Lynn Woodrum

Matthew P Hund

Sharon L Woodrum

A wireless communication device controls access to a geographically-distributed Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) network. The wireless communication device graphically presents WiFi network data to receive user selections of multiple WiFi access systems, a network name, and a user password. The wireless communication device receives configuration data that associates broadcast identification signals for the WiFi access systems with the network name. The wireless communication device detects a broadcast identification signal for one of the WiFi access systems and responsively presents the network name and a password prompt to receive the user password. The wireless communication device transfers the network name and the user password to the WiFi access system, and in response, the wireless communication device exchanges user data over the WiFi access system.

User control over WIFI network access

A server system transfers display data for presentation to a user who selects multiple geographically-distributed WiFi access systems and a password. The server system receives user data that indicates the user-selected WiFi network access systems and the user-selected password. The server system stores an association between the user-selected WiFi network access systems and the user-selected password. The server system receives an access request for one of the user-selected WiFi network access systems using the user-selected password. The server system transfers a positive response to the access request based on the stored association between the user-selected WiFi network access systems and the user-selected password.

User control over WiFi network access

Systems, methods, and software for providing a wireless local area network to user devices using a wireless access node are provided herein. In one example, a method of operating a wireless access node is provided. The method includes providing a wireless local area network for user devices, selecting a first wireless backhaul link for communications of the wireless local area network from among a plurality of wireless links provided by a plurality of wireless access nodes based on at least signal strengths of the wireless links, and selecting a second wireless backhaul link as a backup for the first wireless backhaul link from among the plurality of wireless links based on at least the signal strengths and uptime information of the wireless links.

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Lenexa, KS, United States of America

Lee Alan Schnitzer