Method and system for managing data traffic in wireless networks

A gateway server for interposition between a wireless local area network and a protected network, the server comprising:

• (a) a receiver for receiving, from a user of a mobile device via a wireless access point, an indication of a request to access another server on the protected network;
• (b) an authentication subsystem for passively monitoring an authentication process in which the user makes a request to authenticate to the another server and the another server authenticates the user;
• (c) a role assignor in communication with the receiver and the authentication subsystem for assigning a role to the authenticated user based on the another server with which the user authenticated;
• and
• (d) an access controller in communication with the assignor for providing access to the protected network based on the assigned role.

A gateway server for interposition between a wireless network and a protected network, the server comprising:

• (a) means for receiving, from a user of a mobile device via a wireless access point, an indication of a request to access another server on the protected network;
• (b) means for passively monitoring an authentication process between the user and the another server in which the user makes a request to authenticate to another server and the another server authenticates the user;
• (c) means for assigning a role to the authenticated user based on the another server with which the user authenticated without authenticating the user to the gateway server;
• and
• (d) means for providing access to the protected network based on the assigned role.

A mesh network of gateway servers comprising:

• a plurality of gateway servers each in communication with a wireless local area network and a protected network, each of the plurality of gateway servers in communication with each other to facilitate hand-off of a mobile device from one of the plurality of gateway servers to another of the plurality of gateway servers, and, wherein each of the plurality of gateway servers comprises:
• (i) a receiver for receiving, from a user of a mobile device via a wireless access point, an indication of a request to access another server on the protected network;
• (ii) an authentication subsystem for passively monitoring an authentication process in which the user makes a request to authenticate to the another server and the another server authenticates the user;
• (iii) a role assignor in communication with the receiver and the authentication subsystem for assigning a role to the authenticated user based on the another server with which the user authenticated;
• and
• (iv) an access controller in communication with the assignor for providing access to the protected network based on the assigned role.