# US 2017/0257818 A1 · Wireless extender secure discovery and provisioning > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0257818 A1 - Document ID: US20170257818A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/600,038 - Filed: 2017-05-19 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2009-12-31 - Assignees: Quest Software, Inc. - Applicants: Quest Software Inc. - Inventors: Zhuangzhi Duo; Zhong Chen; John Gmuender - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170257818A1 ## CPC - H04W 48/10: using broadcasted information - H04W 12/50: Secure pairing of devices - H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W 48/20: Selecting an access point - H04L 63/061: {for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838)} - H04W 12/04: Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] - H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04W 92/20: between access points - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract According to embodiments of the invention, a first wireless access point discovers a second wireless access point, the first wireless access point tunes its radio and privacy settings, without user input, based upon parameters automatically exchanged in response to the discovery of the second wireless access point, and a secure direct wireless connection is established between the first and second wireless access points using the radio and privacy settings. Adding the first wireless to an existing mesh network includes a determination of the best available direct wireless connection. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for connecting to a wireless access point, the method comprising: receiving information from a wireless access point at an electronic device, wherein the received information includes one or more privacy settings relating to a secure wireless connection between the wireless access point and the electronic device; tuning a radio at the electronic device based on the information received from the wireless access point; and setting at least one of the privacy settings at the electronic device based on the information received from the wireless access point, wherein the at least one privacy setting is set automatically without requiring user input at the electronic device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an authentication process based at least in part on the at least one received privacy setting. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a communication from a wireless station, and forwarding the received communication to the wireless access point, wherein connecting the wireless access point to the wireless station based on the forwarded communication extends a wireless range of the wireless access point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising sharing the at least one privacy setting with the wireless station, and allowing the wireless station to roam between the wireless access point and the electronic device without changing the at least one privacy setting. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one privacy setting is encrypted. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless access point is a root access point. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one communication received from the wireless access point is encrypted and decrypted using public-private key pairs. ### Claim 8 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program executable by processor to perform a method for connecting to a wireless access point, the method comprising: receiving information from a wireless access point at an electronic device, wherein the received information includes one or more privacy settings relating to a secure wireless connection between the wireless access point and the electronic device; tuning a radio at the electronic device based on the information received from the wireless access point; and setting at least one of the privacy settings at the electronic device based on the information received from the wireless access point, wherein the at least one privacy setting is set automatically without requiring user input at the electronic device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the program further comprises instructions executable to perform an authentication process based at least in part on the at least one received privacy setting. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the program further comprises instructions executable to receive a communication from a wireless station, and to forward the received communication to the wireless access point, wherein connecting the wireless access point to the wireless station based on the forwarded communication extends a wireless range of the wireless access point. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the program further comprises instructions executable to share the at least one privacy setting with the wireless station, and wherein the wireless station is allowed to roam between the wireless access point and the electronic device without changing the at least one privacy setting. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the at least one privacy setting is encrypted. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the wireless access point is a root access point. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein at least one communication received from the wireless access point is encrypted and decrypted via public-private key pairs. ### Claim 15 An apparatus for connecting to a wireless access point, the apparatus comprising: a network interface that receives information from a wireless access point, wherein the received information includes one or more privacy settings relating to a secure wireless connection with the wireless access point; a radio that is tuned based on the information received from the wireless access point; and a processor that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor sets at least one of the privacy settings at the electronic device based on the information received from the wireless access point, wherein the at least one privacy setting is set automatically without requiring user input at the electronic device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor executes further instructions to perform an authentication process based at least in part on the at least one received privacy setting. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the network interface receives a communication from a wireless station, and forwards the received communication to the wireless access point, wherein connecting the wireless access point to the wireless station based on the forwarded communication extends a wireless range of the wireless access point. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the network interface shares the at least one privacy setting with the wireless station, and wherein the wireless station is allowed to roam between the wireless access point and the electronic device without changing the at least one privacy setting. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one privacy setting is encrypted. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least one communication received from the wireless access point is encrypted and decrypted via public-private key pairs.