Systems and methods for acquiring network credentials
View Patent ↗Exemplary methods and systems for acquiring network credentials for network access are described. The exemplary method includes receiving network configuration information from a network device on a communication network, generating a credential request, transmitting the credential request to a credential server over a standard protocol of the network device, receiving the credential request response, and providing a network credential from the credential request response to the network device to access the communication network.
1. A method for acquiring network credentials, the method comprising:
receiving, at a digital device, network configuration information from a network device on a communication network;
generating, by the digital device, a credential request, the credential request comprising an identifier associated with the network device;
transmitting, from the digital device, the credential request over the network device to a credential server using a DNS protocol;
receiving, at the digital device, a credential request response over the network device from the credential server; and
providing, by the digital device, a network credential from the credential request response to the network device to access the communication network.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising encrypting the credential request.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising decrypting the credential request response.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising digitally signing the credential request.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the credential request comprises a location identifier.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the location identifier is based on at least some of the network configuration information.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the credential request response comprises a command to not cache the credential request response.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the credential from the credential request response comprises analyzing a network access page and posting form information within the network access page.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the credential request comprises a digital device identifier.
10. A digital device for acquiring network credentials, the digital device comprising:
a processor;
a network module configured to receive network configuration information from a network device on a communication network and transmit a credential request over the network device to a credential server using a DNS protocol;
a credential request module configured to generate the credential request, the credential request comprising an identifier associated with the network device;
a credential engine configured to receive a credential request response over the network device from the credential server; and
a network access engine configured to provide a network credential from the credential request response to the network device to access the communication network.
11. The digital device of claim 10 , further comprising an encryption/decryption module configured to encrypt the credential request.
12. The digital device of claim 10 , further comprising an encryption/decryption module configured to decrypt the credential request response.
13. The digital device of claim 10 , further comprising an encryption/decryption module configured to digitally sign the credential request.
14. The digital device of claim 10 , wherein the credential request comprises a location identifier.
15. The digital device of claim 14 , wherein the location identifier is based on at least some of the network configuration information.
16. The digital device of claim 10 , wherein the credential request response comprises a command to not cache the credential request response.
17. The digital device of claim 10 , wherein providing the credential from the credential request response comprises the network access engine configured to analyze a network access page and post form information within the network access page.
18. The digital device of claim 10 , wherein the credential request comprises a digital device identifier.
19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor for performing a method for acquiring network credentials, the method comprising:
receiving, at a digital device, network configuration information from a network device on a communication network;
generating, at the digital device, a credential request, the credential request comprising an identifier associated with the network device;
transmitting, from the digital device, the credential request over the network device to a credential server using a DNS protocol;
receiving, by the digital device, the credential request response over the network device from the credential server; and
providing, from the digital device, a network credential from the credential request response to the network device to access the communication network.