Secure network location awareness

A method of granting access for a client commuting device, the method comprising:

• generating, by one or more hardware processors, a first nonce used as a first freshness indicator;
• sending, by an output device circuitry, a network request to an access node of a communications network, the access node being certified by a common root certification authority, the request containing the first nonce;
• storing network settings based on information received from at least one other access node different from the access node, the other access node having been certified and bound into one logical network location with the access node by the common root certification authority of the access nodes;
• receiving, by an input device circuitry, a signed message form the access node of the communications network, the signed message comprising a signature, a location identifier, a public key, and at least a second nonce used as second freshness indicator;
• parsing the signed message to obtain the second nonce, the signature, and the public key;
• comparing the first nonce with the second nonce;
• validating the second nonce based on the comparison of the first nonce and the second nonce;
• verifying the signature of the signed message using the public key, and
• allowing the client computing device to access the stored network settings for use within the network, in response to a successful validation of the second nonce and a successful verification of the signature.

One or more computer-readable memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed on a processor of a client computing device, configure the processor to perform a series of acts comprising:

• generating a first nonce used as a first freshness indicator;
• sending, by an output device circuitry, a network request to an access node of a communications network, the access node being certified by a common root certification authority, the request containing the first nonce;
• storing network settings based on information received from at least one other access node different from the access node, the other access node having been certified and bound into one logical network location with the access node by the common root certification authority of the access nodes;
• receiving, by an input device circuitry, a signed message from the access node of the communications network, the signed message comprising a signature, a location identifier, a public key, and at least a second nonce used as second freshness indicator;
• parsing the signed message to obtain the second nonce, the signature, and the public key;
• comparing the first nonce with the second nonce;
• validating the second nonce based on the comparison of the first nonce and the second nonce;
• verifying the signature of the signed message using the public key, and
• allowing the client computing device to access the stored network settings for use within the network, in response to a successful validation of the second nonce and a successful verification of the signature.