Authorizing secured wireless access at hotspot having open wireless network and secure wireless network

1. A method of authorizing secured wireless access at a hotspot, the method comprising:

providing an open wireless network having no network-level encryption and allowing open association therewith by a client device;

establishing an encrypted connection between the client device and a login portal of the hotspot over the open wireless network;

requiring a user of the client device to perform a predetermined sign-up process at the login portal before adding a user-specific access credential to a credential database;

adding the user-specific access credential as a valid access credential in the credential database, wherein the credential database stores a plurality of valid access credentials acceptable for gaining secure wireless access at the hotspot, and the user-specific access credential is transmitted between the login portal and the client device via the encrypted connection;

providing a secure wireless network employing network-level encryption and requiring successful completion of an authentication process before allowing association therewith by the client device;

receiving a request from the client device to associate with the secure wireless network after the user-specific access credential has been added to the credential database;

receiving the user-specific access credential from the client device as a part of the authentication process performed before the client device is allowed to associate with the secure wireless network;

accessing the credential database to check whether the user-specific access credential received from the client device during the authentication process corresponds to one of the valid access credentials stored in the credential database;

allowing the client device to associate with the secure wireless network only when the user-specific access credential received from the client device during the authentication process corresponds to one of the valid access credentials stored in the credential database;

allowing the client device to access the Internet over the secure wireless network after the client device has successfully associated with the secure wireless network until an Internet access expiry time is reached;

in response to the Internet access expiry time being reached, preventing the client device from accessing the Internet over the secure wireless network and starting a re-login time duration; and

automatically removing the user-specific access credential from the credential database in response to the re-login time duration expiring;

wherein, during the re-login time duration, the user of the client device may sign up for additional Internet access time at the login portal without needing to disconnect from the secure wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing a web browser running on the client device to establish a hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) connection with the login portal over the open wireless network after the client device has associated with the open wireless network.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

dynamically generating by the login portal at least part of the user-specific access credential; and

transmitting at least the dynamically generated part of the user-specific access credential from the login portal to the client device over the HTTPS connection.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising receiving, by the login portal, at least part of the user-specific access credential, wherein the at least part of the user-specific access credential is transmitted from the client device to the login portal over the HTTPS connection.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting instructions from the login portal to the client device instructing a user of the client device to switch the client device to a service set identifier (SSID) of the secure wireless network at the hotspot and to authenticate with the secure wireless network utilizing the user-specific access credential.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-specific access credential comprises a username and a password.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising preventing the client device from accessing the Internet over the open wireless network.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disconnecting the client device from the secure wireless network in response to the re-login time period expiring.

9. A system for authorizing secured wireless access at a hotspot, the system comprising:

one or more access points providing an open wireless network having no network-level encryption and allowing open association therewith by a client device;

a computer server having one or more processors executing software in order to provide a login portal;

a storage device coupled to the computer server and storing a credential database, the credential database storing a plurality of valid access credentials acceptable for gaining secure wireless access at the hotspot;

one or more access points providing a secure wireless network employing network-level encryption and requiring successful completion of an authentication process before allowing association therewith by the client device; and

a firewall coupled to the one or more access points providing the secure wireless network and the computer server providing the login portal;

wherein the login portal is operable to establish an encrypted connection with the client device over the open wireless network and requires a user of the client device to perform a predetermined sign-up process before adding a user-specific access credential to the credential database; the login portal is operable to add the user-specific access credential as a valid access credential in the credential database; and the user-specific access credential is transmitted between the login portal and the client device via the encrypted connection; and

wherein: the one or more access points providing the secure wireless network are operable to:

receive a request from the client device to associate with the secure wireless network after the user-specific access credential has been added to the credential database;

receive the user-specific access credential from the client device as a part of the authentication process performed before the client device is allowed to associate with the secure wireless network;

access the credential database to check whether the user-specific access credential received from the client device during the authentication process corresponds to one of the valid access credentials stored in the credential database; and

allow the client device to associate with the secure wireless network only when the user-specific access credential received from the client device during the authentication process corresponds to one of the valid access credentials stored in the credential database;

the login portal is further operable to automatically reconfigure the firewall in order to allow the client device to access the Internet over the secure wireless network until an Internet access expiry time is reached;

the login portal is further operable to automatically reconfigure the firewall to prevent the client device from accessing the Internet over the secure wireless network in response to the Internet access expiry time being reached;

the login portal is further operable to start a re-login time duration in response to the Internet access expiry time being reached;

the login portal is further operable to automatically remove the user-specific access credential from the credential database in response to the re-login time duration expiring; and

during the re-login time duration, the user of the client device may sign up for additional Internet access time at the login portal without needing to disconnect from the secure wireless network.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the firewall is further coupled to the one or more access points providing the open wireless network;

the computer server is a web server providing a web-based login portal; and

after the client device has associated with the open wireless network, the firewall causes a web browser running on the client device to establish a hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) connection over the open wireless network with the login portal.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the login portal is further operable to:

dynamically generate at least part of the user-specific access credential; and

transmit at least the dynamically generated part of the user-specific access credential to the client device over the HTTPS connection.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the login portal is further operable to receive at least part of the user-specific access credential, the at least part of the user-specific access credential being transmitted from the client device to the login portal over the HTTPS connection.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the login portal is further operable to transmit instructions to the client device instructing a user of the client device to switch the client device to a service set identifier (SSID) of the secure wireless network at the hotspot and to authenticate with the secure wireless network utilizing the user-specific access credential.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the user-specific access credential comprises a username and a password.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the firewall is further coupled to the one or more access points providing the open wireless network; and

the firewall prevents the client device from accessing the Internet over the open wireless network.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the login portal is further operable to send a command to the one or more access points providing the secure wireless network in response to the re-login time duration expiring, the command causing the client device to be disconnected from the secure wireless network.