COMMUNITY WiFi ACCESS POINT (AP) VIRTUAL NETWORK FUNCTION (VNF) WITH WiFi PROTECTED ACCESS 2 (WPA2) PASS-THROUGH

An apparatus configured to be employed in a service provider (SP) network device, comprising:

• one or more processors, coupled to a memory that includes instructions to execute operations of the one or more processors, configured to:
• initiate a WiFi protected access 2 (WPA2) pass-through interface with a user equipment (UE);
• receive, via the WPA2 pass-through interface, a set of encrypted data from the UE, wherein the set of encrypted data is associated with a community WiFi network;
• and
• generate, via the WPA2 pass-through interface, an authentication protocol with the UE based on a virtual network function (VNF) of a physical access point (pAP) associated with the community WiFi network for a virtual access point (vAP) of an SP network of the SP network device.

An apparatus configured to be employed in a user equipment (UE) comprising:

• one or more processors, coupled to a memory that includes instructions to execute operations of the one or more processors, configured to:
• detect a community WiFi network over a residential gateway;
• initiate a WiFi protected access 2 (WPA2) pass-through via a physical access point (pAP) of the residential gateway by connecting with the community WiFi network associated with an SP network at a virtual access point (vAP);
• and
• communicate transparently via the WPA2 pass-through a set of encrypted data to enable an authentication protocol at the vAP through the residential gateway unmodified and enable a decryption at the vAP.