Supporting an access to a destination network via a wireless access network

1. A method comprising generating at least one predetermined request at a mobile device, which predetermined request is addressed to a connectivity test server in a destination network, and transmitting said at least one predetermined request to a wireless access network, the destination network being a first network and the wireless access network being a second network; and

determining whether a response to said at least one predetermined request is received from said wireless access network and whether a received response corresponds to a predetermined response which is known to be provided by said connectivity test server in case said connectivity test server is reached by said at least one predetermined request,

wherein said at least one predetermined request comprises at least two predetermined requests, and wherein in case a non-predetermined response to a first one of said at least two predetermined requests indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said mobile device with said wireless access network, said method further comprising retransmitting a second one of said at least two predetermined requests, a detection of a predetermined response to said second one of said at least two predetermined requests being an indication of a successfully completed user interaction.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said wireless access network is unknown to said mobile device.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one predetermined request comprises at least one of a predetermined hypertext transfer protocol request, a predetermined user datagram protocol request and a predetermined transmission control protocol request.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein reception of a predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request is considered to indicate a connection to said destination network, and wherein reception of one of no response and another than a predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request is considered to indicate that the wireless access network is blocking access to said destination network.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said access to said destination network is requested by an application or client of said mobile device, said method further comprising informing said application or client about said connection to said destination network.

6. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising saving said connection for further use.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein applications or clients of said mobile device accessing said destination network via another connection roam to said connection for accessing said destination network in response to reception of a predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said saving said connection for further use is upon confirmation by a user.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein reception of a non-predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said mobile device with said wireless access network, said method further comprising initiating a user interaction.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising recording user actions in a script during said authentication procedure, optionally upon confirmation by a user.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a connectivity test server of a destination network, at least one predetermined request from a mobile device via a wireless access network, which at least one predetermined request is defined specifically for enabling a mobile device to test whether a connection to said destination network has been established, the destination network being a first network and the wireless access network being a second network;

and generating, by the connectivity test server, a predetermined response to said at least one received predetermined request, said predetermined response being known at the mobile device, and transmitting said predetermined response to said mobile device via said wireless access network,

wherein said at least one predetermined request comprises at least two predetermined requests, and wherein in case a non-predetermined response to a first one of said at least two predetermined requests indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said mobile device with said wireless access network, said method further comprising retransmitting a second one of said at least two predetermined requests, a detection of a predetermined response to said second one of said at least two predetermined requests being an indication of a successfully completed user interaction.

12. An apparatus comprising a processor and installed software code, the software code, with the processor, configured to cause the apparatus to generate at least one predetermined request, which predetermined request is addressed to a connectivity test server in a destination network, and to provide said at least one predetermined request for transmission to a wireless access network, the destination network being a first network and the wireless access network being a second network; and the software code, with the processor, configured to cause the apparatus to determine whether a response to a transmitted at least one predetermined request is received from said wireless access network and whether a received response corresponds to a predetermined response which is known to be provided by said connectivity test server in case said connectivity test server is reached by said at least one predetermined request;

wherein said at least one predetermined request comprises at least two predetermined requests, said software code, with the processor, being configured to cause the apparatus to retransmit a second one of said at least two predetermined requests in case a non-predetermined response to a first one of said at least two predetermined requests indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said apparatus with said wireless access network, a detection of a predetermined response to said second one of said at least two predetermined requests being an indication of a successfully completed user interaction.

13. A communication system supporting an access to a destination network by a mobile device via a wireless access network, said communication system comprising an apparatus according to claim 12 and a second apparatus comprising a processor and installed software code, the software code, with the processor, configured to cause the second apparatus to receive at least one predetermined request from a mobile device via a wireless access network, which at least one predetermined request is defined specifically for enabling a mobile device to test whether a connection to a destination network has been established, the destination network being a first network and the wireless access network being a second network; and the software code, with the processor, configured to cause the second apparatus to generate a predetermined response to at least one received predetermined request and to provide said predetermined response for transmission to said mobile device via said wireless access network.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said wireless access network is unknown to said apparatus.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said at least one predetermined request comprises at least one of a predetermined hypertext transfer protocol request, a predetermined user data protocol request and a predetermined transmission control protocol request.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12 , said software code, with the processor, being configured to cause the apparatus to consider reception of a predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request to indicate a connection to said destination network, and to cause the apparatus to consider reception of one of no response and another than a predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request to indicate that the wireless access network is blocking access to said destination network.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , said software code, with the processor, being configured to cause the apparatus to enable an application or a client to request access to said destination network, and said software code, with the processor, being configured to cause the apparatus to inform said application or client about said connection to said destination network.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16 , said software code, with the processor, being configured to cause the apparatus to save said connection for further use, optionally upon confirmation by a user.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein applications or clients of said apparatus accessing said destination network via another connection are configured to roam to said connection for accessing said destination network in response to reception of a predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request.

20. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein reception of a non-predetermined response to said at least one predetermined request indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said apparatus with said wireless access network, said software code, with the processor, being configured to cause the apparatus to initiate a user interaction.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20 , said software code, with the processor, being configured to cause the apparatus to record user actions in a script during said authentication procedure, optionally upon confirmation by a user.

22. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said apparatus is a mobile terminal.

23. An apparatus comprising a processor and installed software code, the software code, with the processor, configured to cause a connectivity test server of a destination network to receive at least one predetermined request from a mobile device via a wireless access network, which at least one predetermined request is defined specifically for enabling a mobile device to test whether a connection to said destination network has been established, the destination network being a first network and the wireless access network being a second network; and

the software code, with the processor, configured to cause the connectivity test server to generate a predetermined response to at least one received predetermined request, said predetermined response being known at the mobile device, and to provide said predetermined response for transmission to said mobile device via said wireless access network,

wherein said at least one predetermined request comprises at least two predetermined requests, and wherein in case a non-predetermined response to a first one of said at least two predetermined requests indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said mobile device with said wireless access network, said method further comprising retransmitting a second one of said at least two predetermined requests, a detection of a predetermined response to said second one of said at least two predetermined requests being an indication of a successfully completed user interaction.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein said apparatus is a server.

25. A non-transitory readable medium stored with software code, said software code causing a mobile device to perform the following when executed by a processor of said mobile device:

generating at least one predetermined request, which predetermined request is addressed to a connectivity test server in a destination network, and providing said at least one predetermined request for transmission to a wireless access network, the destination network being a first network and the wireless access network being a second network; and

determining whether a response to said at least one predetermined request is received from said wireless access network and whether a received response corresponds to a predetermined response which is known to be provided by said connectivity test server in case said connectivity test server is reached by said at least one predetermined request,

wherein said at least one predetermined request comprises at least two predetermined requests, and wherein in case a non-predetermined response to a first one of said at least two predetermined requests indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said mobile device with said wireless access network, retransmitting a second one of said at least two predetermined requests, a detection of a predetermined response to said second one of said at least two predetermined requests being an indication of a successfully completed user interaction.

26. A non-transitory readable medium stored with software code, said software code causing a connectivity test server of a destination network to perform the following when executed by a processor of said connectivity test server:

receiving at least one predetermined request from a mobile device via a wireless access network, which at least one predetermined request is defined specifically for enabling a mobile device to test whether a connection to said destination network has been established, the destination network being a first network and the wireless access network being a second network; and

generating a predetermined response to said at least one received predetermined request, said predetermined response being known at the mobile device, and providing said predetermined response for transmission to said mobile device via said wireless access network,

wherein said at least one predetermined request comprises at least two predetermined requests, and wherein in case a non-predetermined response to a first one of said at least two predetermined requests indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said mobile device with said wireless access network, said method further comprising retransmitting a second one of said at least two predetermined requests, a detection of a predetermined response to said second one of said at least two predetermined requests being an indication of a successfully completed user interaction.

27. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating at least one predetermined request, which predetermined request is addressed to a connectivity test server in a destination network, and transmitting said at least one predetermined request to a wireless access network, the destination network being a first network and the wireless access network being a second network; and

means for determining whether a response to said at least one predetermined request is received from said wireless access network and whether a received response corresponds to a predetermined response which is known to be provided by said connectivity test server in case said connectivity test server is reached by said at least one predetermined request;

wherein said at least one predetermined request comprises at least two predetermined requests, said apparatus further comprising means for retransmitting a second one of said at least two predetermined requests in case a non-predetermined response to a first one of said at least two predetermined requests indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said mobile device with said wireless access network, a detection of a predetermined response to said second one of said at least two predetermined requests being an indication of a successfully completed user interaction.

28. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving at a connectivity test server of a destination network at least one predetermined request from a mobile device via a wireless access network, which at least one predetermined request is defined specifically for enabling a mobile device to test whether a connection to said destination network has been established, the destination network being a first network and the wireless access network being a second network; and

means for generating at said connectivity test server a predetermined response to said at least one received predetermined request, said predetermined response being known at the mobile device, and for transmitting said predetermined response to said mobile device via said wireless access network,

wherein said at least one predetermined request comprises at least two predetermined requests, and wherein in case a non-predetermined response to a first one of said at least two predetermined requests indicates a possibly required user interaction of a user of said mobile device with said wireless access network, said method further comprising retransmitting a second one of said at least two predetermined requests, a detection of a predetermined response to said second one of said at least two predetermined requests being an indication of a successfully completed user interaction.