Communications security

A method of re-authenticating a device's access to a communications node, the method comprising:

• communicating, by the device with the communications node in a first communications exchange, the device being authenticated to the communications node using a first pair-wise transient key (PTK) derived from a first ANonce generated by the communications node;
• storing by the device, the first ANonce;
• establishing by the device, a communication link with the communication node based at least in part on the device being authenticated to the communications node;
• terminating by the device, the communication link between the device and the communication node subsequent to establishing the communication link;
• and
• re-establishing by the device, the communication link with the communication node subsequent to said termination, said re-establishing comprising:
• modifying by the device, independent of the communications node, the first ANonce to create a second ANonce;
• and
• communicating by the device, with the communications node in a second communications exchange, using the second ANonce, the device being re-authenticated to the communications node using a copy of the second ANonce independently generated by the communications node.

A communications node comprising:

• a transmitter;
• and
• a controller coupled to the transmitter, the controller designed to:
• generate a first ANonce for use in derivation of a first pair-wise transient key (PTK), the first PTK being at least partially used to authenticate a device's access to the communications node in a first communications exchange,
• store the first ANonce in the communication node;
• associate with the device by establishing a communication link between the communication node and the device based at least in part on authenticating the device's access to the communications node;
• and
• subsequent to a duration of time during which the communication node and the device are not associated, re-associate with the device by re-establishing the communication link between the communication node and the device, wherein the duration of time occurs subsequent to said associating, wherein during said re-associating, the controller is further designed to:
• modify, independent of the device, the first ANonce to create a second ANonce, the controller designed to use the second ANonce in re-authenticating the device's access to the communications node in a second communications exchange.

A method of comprising:

• associating a wireless station (STA) with a first access point (AP);
• re-associating the STA with a second AP subsequent to associating with the first AP, said re-associating including:
• determining, by the STA, that a pair-wise master key identifier (PMKID) tuple associated with the second AP has been cached at the STA prior to an initiation of said re-associating with the second AP, wherein the PMKID tuple includes a first ANonce and a basic service set identifier (BSSID) of the second AP, wherein the PMKID tuple associated with the second AP is cached at the STA from a previous association of the STA with the second AP, said previous association occurring prior to an initiation of said associating with the first AP, wherein during said previous association the STA establishes a communication link with the second AP;
• modifying, by the STA, independent of the second AP, the first ANonce to create a second ANonce in response to at least in part on said determining;
• and
• communicating, by the STA, the second ANonce to the second AP for being re-associated with the second AP.

A method of re-authenticating a wireless station's (STA's) access to a first access point (AP), comprising:

• determining, by the first AP, that a pair-wise master key identifier (PMKID) tuple has been cached in the first AP prior to an initiation of said re-authenticating, during a previous association of the STA with the first AP, wherein during said previous association the STA establishes a communication link with the first AP, the PMKID including a media access control (MAC) address of the STA and a first ANonce associated with said STA;
• receiving, by the first AP, a second ANonce from the STA;
• comparing, by the first AP, the received second ANonce with the first ANonce included in the cached PMDIK tuple;
• and
• re-authenticating, by the first AP, the STA's access to the first AP based at least in part on said comparing.