Using EAP instead of PPP for authentication

1. A method for performing an authentication process in a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a wireless connection request from an access terminal;

establishing a High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) connection between the access terminal and an access network;

performing access authentication of the access terminal using one or more methods in accordance with Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) over the HRPD connection, the performing access authentication comprising:

sending an EAP request identity message to the access terminal;

receiving an EAP response identity message from the access terminal; and

sending information in the received EAP response identity message to an authentication device operable for authenticating the access terminal, the sending the information comprising sending the information to a home authentication device of the access terminal if it is determined that the access terminal is visiting;

establishing a connection between the access network and a packet data serving node; and

after access authentication, performing an EAP service authentication process between the packet data serving node and the access terminal over the HRPD connection.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session over the HRPD connection; and

performing access authentication over the PPP session.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising after authenticating the access terminal, sending an EAP success message to the access terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the sending information to the authentication device comprises sending one or more EAP messages to the authentication device over a RADIUS protocol or a DIAMETER protocol.

5. An access network (AN) in a wireless communications system, the AN comprising:

means for receiving a wireless connection request from an access terminal;

means for establishing a High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) connection between the access terminal and an access network;

means for performing an access authentication process between the access terminal and the access network using one or more methods in accordance with Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) over the HRPD connection, the means for performing the access authentication process comprising:

means for sending an EAP request identity message to the access terminal;

means for receiving an EAP response identity message from the access terminal; and

means for sending information in the received EAP response identity message to an authentication device operable for authenticating the access terminal, the means for sending the information comprising means for sending the information to a home authentication device of the access terminal if it is determined that the access terminal is visiting;

means for establishing a connection between the access network and a packet data serving node; and

means for performing an EAP service authentication process between the packet data serving node and the access terminal over the HRPD connection.

6. The access network of claim 5 , further comprising:

means for establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session over the HRPD connection; and

means for performing access authentication over the PPP session.

7. The access network of claim 5 , further comprising means for sending an EAP success message to the access terminal after authenticating the access terminal.

8. The access network of claim 5 , wherein the means for sending information to the authentication device comprises means for sending one or more EAP messages to the authentication device over a RADIUS protocol or a DIAMETER protocol.

9. A computer readable hardware medium having computer readable program code stored thereon that, when executed, performs a method comprising:

receiving a wireless connection request from an access terminal;

establishing a High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) connection between the access terminal and an access network;

performing an access authentication process between the access network and the access terminal using one or more methods in accordance with Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) over the HRPD connection, the performing the access authentication process comprising:

sending an EAP request identity message to the access terminal;

receiving an EAP response identity message from the access terminal; and

sending information in the received EAP response identity message to an authentication device operable for authenticating the access terminal, the sending the information comprising sending the information to a home authentication device of the access terminal if it is determined that the access terminal is visiting;

establishing a connection between the access network and a packet data serving node; and

after access authentication, performing an EAP service authentication process between the packet data serving node and the access terminal over the HRPD connection.

10. The hardware computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the computer readable program code, when executed, performs a method further comprising:

establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session over the HRPD connection; and

performing access authentication over the PPP session.

11. The hardware computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the computer readable program code, when executed, performs a method further comprising sending an EAP success message to the access terminal after authenticating the access terminal.

12. The hardware computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the sending information to the authentication device further comprises sending one or more EAP messages to the authentication device over a RADIUS protocol or a DIAMETER protocol.

13. In a wireless communications system including a supplicant, an authenticator and an authentication device, a method of performing an authentication process in a wireless network comprising:

receiving a wireless connection request from the supplicant;

establishing a High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) connection between the supplicant and the authenticator;

performing one or more access authentication processes between the supplicant and the authenticator using one or more methods in accordance with EAP over HRPD and operable for authenticating the supplicant, the performing comprising:

sending an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) request identity message to the supplicant over HRPD;

receiving an EAP response identity message from the supplicant over HRPD;

sending information in the received EAP response identity message to the authenticator operable for authenticating the supplicant, the sending the information comprising sending the information to a home authenticator of the supplicant if it is determined that the supplicant is visiting;

establishing a connection between the authenticator and a packet data serving node;

after access authentication, performing one or more EAP service authentication processes between the packet data serving node and the supplicant over the HRPD connection; and

sending an EAP authentication success message to the supplicant.

14. The wireless communications system of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:

establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session over the HRPD connection; and

performing access authentication over the PPP session.

15. The wireless communications system of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises sending an EAP success message to the supplicant after authenticating the supplicant.

16. The wireless communications system of claim 13 , wherein the sending information to the authenticator further comprises sending one or more EAP messages to the authenticator over a RADIUS protocol or a DIAMETER protocol.