System and method for implementing community wireless communications service

An apparatus, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the at least one processor, the non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to:
• receive, from a user device via a customer gateway device, a first request for wireless access to a communications network, the user device being unassociated with a customer who is associated with the customer gateway device;
• determine an identity of the user device;
• based on a determination that the user device is unassociated with the customer who is associated with the customer gateway device, send, to a wireless communications server, a second request for wireless access to the communications network, the second request for network access comprising a first identifier associated with the user device, wherein the wireless communications server comprises a WiFi Community JavaScript (“JS”) server;
• forward, from the wireless communications server, a login user interface to the user device, the login user interface comprising a prompt for a unique identifier;
• forward, from the user device, a first unique identifier to the wireless communications server, the first unique identifier being associated with the user device and being different from the first identifier, wherein the wireless communications server forwards the first unique identifier to an authentication server for authentication;
• in response to the authentication server authenticating the first unique identifier and sending an indication that network access is to be given to the user device, receive, from the wireless communications server, a request for a temporary Internet Protocol (“IP”) address to be assigned to the user device;
• assign the temporary IP address to the user device;
• and
• provide the user device with wireless access to the communications network.

A system, comprising:

• a user device, comprising:
• at least one first processor;
• and
• a first non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the at least one first processor, the first non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a first set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, causes the user device to:
• send a first request for wireless access to a communications network;
• a customer gateway device, wherein the user device is unassociated with a customer who is associated with the customer gateway device, the customer gateway device comprising:
• at least one second processor;
• and
• a second non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the at least one second processor, the second non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a second set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, causes the customer gateway device to:
• forward the first request to the network gateway device;
• a network gateway device, comprising:
• at least one third processor;
• and
• a third non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the at least one third processor, the third non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a third set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one third processor, causes the network gateway device to:
• receive, from the user device via the customer gateway device, the first request for wireless access to the communications network;
• determine an identity of the user device;
• and
• based on a determination that the user device is unassociated with the customer who is associated with the customer gateway device, send, to a wireless communications server, a second request for wireless access to the communications network, the second request for network access comprising a first identifier associated with the user device;
• a wireless communications server, comprising:
• at least one fourth processor;
• and
• a fourth non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the at least one fourth processor, the fourth non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a fourth set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one fourth processor, causes the wireless communications server to:
• receive the second request for wireless access to the communications network;
• and
• in response to receiving the second request, send a login user interface to the user device via the network gateway device, the login user interface comprising a prompt for a unique identifier, via the network gateway device;
• and
• an authentication server, comprising:
• at least one fifth processor;
• and
• a fifth non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the at least one fifth processor, the fifth non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer software comprising a fifth set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one fifth processor, causes the authentication server to perform one or more functions;
• wherein the second set of instructions, when executed by the at least one second processor, further causes the user device to:
• receive the login user interface;
• display the login user interface;
• receive a first unique identifier from the user;
• and
• send the first unique identifier to the authentication server via the network gateway device and the wireless communications server;
• wherein the fifth set of instructions, when executed by the at least one fifth processor, causes the authentication server to:
• receive the first unique identifier;
• determine whether the user device is authorized to wirelessly access the communications network, based on the received first unique identifier;
• and
• based on a determination that the user device is authorized to wirelessly access the communications network, send an indication to the wireless communications server that the user device is authorized to wirelessly access the communications network;
• wherein the fourth set of instructions, when executed by the at least one fourth processor, further causes the wireless communications server to:
• receive the indication that the user device is authorized to wirelessly access the communications network;
• and
• in response to receiving the indication, send a request for a temporary Internet Protocol (“IP”) address to the network gateway device;
• wherein the third set of instructions, when executed by the at least one third processor, further causes the network gateway device to:
• receive the request for the temporary IP address;
• in response to receiving the request for the temporary IP address, generate the temporary IP address;
• assign the temporary IP address to the user device;
• and
• provide the user device with wireless access to the communications network;
• wherein the wireless communications server comprises a WiFi Community JavaScript (“JS”) server.