Using encoded identifiers to provide rapid configuration for network access
View Patent ↗A user device receives a captured image of an encoded identifier, analyzes the encoded identifier via the captured image, and extracts, based on the analysis, network access configuration data from the encoded identifier. The user device provides the network access configuration data to a network access control (NAC) device, and receives, based on the network access configuration data, access to the NAC device. The user device permits the NAC device to inspect the user device via the access to the NAC device, and receives, based on the inspection of the user device, access to a network.
1. A method comprising: receiving, by a user device, a captured image of an encoded identifier; analyzing, by the user device and via the captured image, the encoded identifier; extracting, by the user device and based on analyzing the encoded identifier, network access configuration data from the encoded identifier, the network access configuration data including one or more of location information of a network access control (NAC) device, an encryption key, a password, a certificate, or an expiration time; providing, by the user device, the network access configuration data to the NAC device; receiving, by the user device and based on the network access configuration data, access to the NAC device; permitting the NAC device to inspect the user device via the access to the NAC device; and receiving, by the user device and after the NAC device inspects the user device, access to a network.
2. The method of claim 1 , where the encoded identifier includes a QR code or a high capacity color barcode (HCCB).
3. The method of claim 1 , where the network access configuration data includes an unencrypted portion and an encrypted portion.
4. The method of claim 3 , where: the unencrypted portion of the network access configuration data includes the location information of the NAC device, and the encrypted portion of the network access configuration data includes particular information that enables the user device to access the network, and the particular information includes one or more of the encryption key, the password, or the certificate.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: reading, via the captured image, a uniform resource location (URL) associated with the encoded identifier; determining whether an encoded identifier analysis mechanism is provided in the user device; and utilizing the URL to retrieve the encoded identifier analysis mechanism when the encoded identifier analysis mechanism is not provided in the user device, analyzing the encoded identifier including: analyzing the encoded identifier by using the encoded identifier analysis mechanism.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: providing the network access configuration data to another user device, the network access configuration data enabling the other user device to access the network.
7. A user device comprising: a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and a processor to execute the plurality of instructions in the memory to: receive an image of an encoded identifier, analyze the encoded identifier, extract, based on analyzing the encoded identifier, network access configuration data from the encoded identifier, the network access configuration data including one or more of location information of a network access control (NAC) device, an encryption key, a password, a certificate, or an expiration time, and utilize the network access configuration data to access a network.
8. The user device of claim 7 , where, when utilizing the network access configuration data, the processor is to execute the plurality of instructions in the memory to: provide the network access configuration data to the NAC device, receive, based on the network access configuration data, access to the NAC device, permit the NAC device to inspect the user device, and receive, after the NAC device inspects the user device, access to the network.
9. The user device of claim 7 , where the encoded identifier includes a QR code or a high capacity color barcode (HCCB).
10. The user device of claim 8 , where the network access configuration data includes an unencrypted portion and an encrypted portion.
11. The user device of claim 10 , where: the unencrypted portion of the network access configuration data includes the location information of the NAC device, and the encrypted portion of the network access configuration data includes one or more of the encryption key, the password, the certificate, or the expiration time.
12. The user device of claim 7 , where the processor is further to execute the plurality of instructions in the memory to: read, from the image, a uniform resource location (URL) associated with the encoded identifier, determine whether an encoded identifier analysis mechanism is provided in the user device, and utilize the URL to retrieve the encoded identifier analysis mechanism when the encoded identifier analysis mechanism is not provided in the user device, and where, when analyzing the encoded identifier, the processor is to execute the plurality of instructions in the memory to: analyze the encoded identifier by using the encoded identifier analysis mechanism.
13. The user device of claim 7 , where the processor is further to execute the plurality of instructions in the memory to: provide the network access configuration data to another user device, and where the network access configuration data enables the other user device to access the network.
14. A non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions, the instructions comprising: one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a user device, cause the one or more processors to: store an image of an encoded identifier; analyze the encoded identifier stored on the image; extract, based on analyzing the encoded identifier, network access configuration data from the encoded identifier, the network access configuration data including one or more of location information of a network access control (NAC) device, an encryption key, a password, a certificate, or an expiration time; provide the network access configuration data to the NAC device; receive, based on the network access configuration data, access to the NAC device; permit the NAC device to inspect the user device via the access to the NAC device; and receive, after the NAC device inspects the user device, access to a network.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , where the encoded identifier includes a QR code or a high capacity color barcode (HCCB).
16. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , where the network access configuration data includes: an unencrypted portion that includes the location information of the NAC device, and an encrypted portion that includes one or more of the encryption key, the password, the certificate, or the expiration time.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , where the instructions further comprise: one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: read, from the image, a uniform resource location (URL) associated with the encoded identifier; determine whether an encoded identifier analysis mechanism is provided in the user device; and utilize the URL to retrieve the encoded identifier analysis mechanism when the encoded identifier analysis mechanism is not provided in the user device, and where the one or more instructions to analyze the encoded identifier include: one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: analyze the encoded identifier based on the encoded identifier analysis mechanism.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , where the instructions further comprise: one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: provide the network access configuration data to another user device, and where the network access configuration data enables the other user device to access the network.
19. A method comprising: receiving, by a user device and from a network access control (NAC) device, a short message service (SMS) message; extracting, by the user device, network access configuration data from the SMS message, the network access configuration data including one or more of location information of the NAC device, an encryption key, a password, a certificate, or an expiration time; providing, by the user device, the network access configuration data to the NAC device; receiving, by the user device and based on the network access configuration data, access to the NAC device; permitting the NAC device to inspect the user device via the access to the NAC device; and receiving, by the user device and after the NAC device inspects the user device, access to a network.
20. The method of claim 19 , where the SMS message is generated by the NAC device based on receipt of a telephone number associated with the user device.
21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising: reading a uniform resource location (URL) associated with the SMS message; determining whether an analysis mechanism is provided in the user device; and utilizing the URL to retrieve the analysis mechanism when the analysis mechanism is not provided in the user device, the analysis mechanism including information required to extract the network access configuration data from the SMS message.
22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising: providing the network access configuration data to another user device, the network access configuration data enabling the other user device to access the network.
23. A user device comprising: a memory; and a processor to: receive, from a network access control (NAC) device, a short message service (SMS) message, extract network access configuration data from the SMS message, the network access configuration data including one or more of location information of the NAC device, an encryption key, a password, a certificate, or an expiration time, and utilize the network access configuration data to access a network.
24. The user device of claim 23 , where, when utilizing the network access configuration data, the processor is to: provide the network access configuration data to the NAC device, receive, based on the network access configuration data, access to the NAC device, permit the NAC device to inspect the user device via the access to the NAC device, and receive, after the NAC device inspects the user device, access to the network.
25. The user device of claim 23 , where the processor is to: provide the network access configuration data to another user device, and where the network access configuration data enables the other user device to access the network.