Secure plug and play configuration of wireless distribution system (WDS) Wi-Fi range extenders
AssigneeNeutrino8, Inc.
InventorsBojan Likar, Ihab Abu-Hakima
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cloud-based onboarding server detects a network change and facilitates an onboarding process for a new access point. An SSID and authentication credentials for an existing Wi-Fi channel are sent over a temporary Wi-Fi channel using a preconfigured SSID and passphrase generated by both the new access point and the master access point. A wireless station scans the identification information from a label on the new access point and sends it directly or indirectly to the master access point, so that both sides have the same seed for generating a matching passphrase. The master access point terminates the temporary channel and reactivates the existing Wi-Fi channel.
Claims9
A computer-implemented method in a cloud-based Wi-Fi onboarding server of a data communication system, implemented at least partially in hardware, for secure plug and play configuration of wireless distribution system (WDS) Wi-Fi range extenders, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving identification information about a new access point, from an active access point that is also connected for management by the cloud-based Wi-Fi onboarding server and is authenticated for secure communication on a Wi-Fi network remote from the cloud-based Wi-Fi onboarding server or from a wireless station authenticated to the cloud-based Wi-Fi onboarding server, the identification information being sent on behalf of the new access point but not sent by the new access point;
- associating the active access point already connected to the Wi-Fi network to the new access point;
- sending the passphrase to the active access point for use in a temporary secure channel between the active access point and the access point, the passphrase generated from the identification information which is known to the new access point, wherein the active access point and the new access point use a temporary Wi-Fi channel with a known SSID authenticated with the passphrase, to exchange permanent secure channel information over the temporary secure channel, and wherein the permanent secure channel provides external network access to the access point through the master access point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.