Method of controlling information requests

A method of controlling information requests in a system operating in an unauthorized, un-associated mode, the system comprising at least one user device and an access point;

• the method comprising:
• receiving at the access point a first information request from a user device;
• setting a utilization indicator;
• receiving at the access point a second information request;
• checking whether the utilization identifier has expired;
• and
• processing a response to the second information request only if the utilization identifier has not expired.

A method of controlling information requests in a communication system operating in an unauthenticated, un-associated state, the system comprising a user device and an access point, the method comprising:

• sending a first information request from the user device to the access point;
• at the access point, determining data including a user device identifier that identifies the user device and a utilization indicator;
• encrypting the data and returning encrypted data to the user device;
• receiving a second information request from the user device, including the encrypted data and a current user device identifier;
• decrypting the encrypted data to produce a decrypted user device identifier and a decrypted utilization indicator;
• comparing, in a first comparison, the decrypted user device identifier with the current user device identifier;
• and
• comparing, in a second comparison, the decrypted utilization indicator with a current utilization indicator;
• and
• responding to the second information request only if the first comparison and/or the second comparison shows a match.

A communication system operating in an unauthenticated, un-associated state, comprising:

• a user device;
• and
• an access point, comprising:
• an encryption device to encrypt data received from the user device in a first information request, to thereby produce encrypted data;
• a transmitter to transmit the encrypted data to the user device;
• and
• a processor to compare data received from the user device in a second information request with the data encrypted,
• and wherein the user device comprises a memory to store the encrypted data received from the access point, for resending with a second information request.