Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC

Nextel Communications Inc.

Qiang Zhang

Arun Manroa

Ramesh Kalathur

Jing Qu

A network environment includes a message-processing resource that receives a communication originated by a communication device and transmitted from the communication device over a wireless communication link. By way of non-limiting example, the communication can be a request for retrieval of content from server resource disposed in the network environment. The message-processing resource processes the communication transmitted over the wireless communication link to identify a network address assigned to the communication device. The message-processing resource maps the network address to corresponding status information associated with the communication device. In response to detecting status information indicating that the communication device has not yet been configured with configuration information supporting secured wireless communications of a particular type, the message-processing resource: initiates generation of configuration information supporting subsequent secured wireless communications between the communication device and a corresponding wireless access point, and forwards the configuration information to the communication device.

Provisioning of wireless security configuration information in a wireless network environment

A user-operated communication device stores security association information that is initially used to wirelessly connect the user-operated communication device to a first wireless access point made available by a first private wireless network service provider. Assume that the user-operated communication device roams out of a first wireless coverage region supported by the first wireless access point into wireless range of a second wireless access point operated by a second private wireless network service provider. Instead of performing full authentication to establish a wireless communication link with the second wireless access point, the user-operated communication device requests authentication resumption and utilizes the stored security association information (provided by the first service provider) to more quickly, wirelessly connect the communication device to the second wireless access point. Accordingly, techniques herein support authentication resumption across different service providers' wireless networks.

Communication management and wireless roaming support

A wireless access point receives configuration information assigned to a particular service provider. The configuration information includes information indicating a wireless network identifier (such as a network name or SSID value) assigned to the service provider. The wireless network identifier is available for use by communication devices to establish a wireless connection with the wireless access point and perform multiple different functions. For example, the configuration information can include multiple resource links assigned to the particular service provider. Via use of the wireless network identifier, a communication device can establish a wireless communication link with the wireless access point. The communication device communicates a selected one of the multiple links to the wireless access point to indicate which of multiple functions (such as online sign-up or actual use of wireless network services) can is being requested.

Wireless network management and online signup of services

Systems and methods of discovering and registering with a WiFi controller by a wireless access point that can provide location awareness in the WiFi controller discovery and registration process. The systems and methods employ a DNS server that can receive a DNS query containing the FQDN of a WiFi controller from an access point, and compare the FQDN of the WiFi controller and the source IP address of the DNS query against a mapping table, which maps FQDNs of WiFi controllers and ranges of source IP addresses of DNS queries to groups of WiFi controllers. By comparing the FQDN of the WiFi controller and the source IP address against the mapping table, the DNS server can resolve the FQDN to IP addresses of a group of WiFi controllers, which can belong to a particular broadband service provider, and/or serve a target market of mobile subscribers located within a geographical area.

Method and apparatus for automatic geoaware access point provisioning

Systems and methods of tracking authentication sessions performed between Wi-Fi-enabled devices and authentication servers via wireless access points in Wi-Fi networks that allow authentication messages to be easily correlated to determine the authentication sessions to which the authentication messages belong. The systems and methods employ a tracking tag that an authentication server can insert into each authentication message that it sends to a Wi-Fi-enabled device via a wireless access point in an authentication session. By having the wireless access point echo the same tracking tag in each subsequent authentication message that it forwards to the authentication server, and storing each authentication message with its tracking tag in a database, the authentication messages stored in the database can be correlated using their tracking tags to determine the authentication session to which the respective authentication messages belong, thereby facilitating subsequent troubleshooting of the authentication session in the event of an unexpected failure.

Method and apparatus for passpoint EAP session tracking

A network environment includes a wireless access point providing access to a corresponding network. One or more mobile communication devices communicate with the wireless access point to access the network. In response to receiving a request from a mobile communication device to establish the wireless communication link, the wireless access point conveys communications between the mobile communication device and a remote server to authenticate the mobile communication device. During authentication, the wireless access point receives a policy assigned to the mobile communication device. The policy specifies how to route subsequent received data traffic from the mobile communication device. Subsequent to authentication, the wireless access point routes the subsequent data traffic received from the mobile communication device in accordance with the received policy.

Communication management and policy-based data routing

A network environment includes a wireless access point providing access to a corresponding network. A server resource initiates verification (such as authorization) of a mobile communication device attempting to establish a secured wireless link between the mobile communication device and a network access point. Based on an outcome of the verification, the server resource produces control information. The server resource forwards the control information to a gateway resource that controls a flow of communications between the network access point and a network. The gateway resource facilitates transmission of one or more messages to the mobile communication device in accordance with the control information.

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Fairfax Station, VA, United States of America

Qiang Zhang