Address assignment for initial authentication
A mobile device may transition between Extended Service Set (“ESS”) networks while maintaining the same internet protocol (“IP”) address while transitioning. The transition may occur seamlessly, such that a consumer never loses the network connection despite transitioning between networks. The mobile device may receive an IP address from a pool of addresses, such that the mobile device can keep that IP address as it is transitions between networks that each have access to the pool. The assignment of the IP address to the mobile device is from the pool of IP addresses rather than from the AP.
1. A method implemented by an access point, comprising:
assigning an internet protocol (“IP”) address to a mobile device that is available for use by the mobile device in a wireless network;
prior to sending the IP address to the mobile device, receiving a request from the mobile device for an association with the access point, the request comprising a first IP Address Assignment element comprising a first identifier subfield, a first type subfield, and a first subnet mask subfield, the first identifier subfield indicating that the request is for an IP address, the first type subfield indicating whether an IPv4 or IPv6 address type is requested, the first type subfield being 1 octet in length, the first subnet mask subfield being left empty in the first IP Address Assignment element; and
sending a response comprising a second IP Address Assignment element from the access point to the mobile device, the second IP Address Assignment element comprising a second identifier subfield, a second type subfield, the IP address assigned to the mobile device, and a Domain Name System (DNS) field,
wherein, when the request is for IPv4, the IP address is an IPv4 address included in a payload subfield of the second IP Address Assignment element, the payload subfield being 4 octets in length, the second IP Address Assignment element also including a subnet mask subfield, the subnet mask subfield comprising a subnet mask for the IP address assigned to the mobile device,
wherein, when the request is for IPv6, the IP address is an IPv6 address included in the payload subfield of the second IP Address Assignment element, the payload subfield being 16 octets in length,
wherein the request is an association request and the response is an association response, and
wherein the response and the request comprise data link layer messages in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IP address is assigned by a higher layer entity.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a subfield of the second IP Address Assignment element comprises a default gateway.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an indication from the mobile device of an ability to transition between a plurality of wireless networks using the IP address.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device receives the IP address from the access point in response to sending a discovery request, wherein the mobile device does not perform operations at or above a network layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (“OSI”) Reference Model during an association state in which the discovery and IP requests are exchanged between the mobile device and the access point, and wherein a security association between the mobile device and the access point is established prior to the association state.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IP address is available through both a first Extended Service Set (ESS) wireless network and a second ESS wireless network, and wherein the access point employs an Access Network Query Protocol (“ANQP”) to notify the mobile device of a capability prior to assigning the IP address to the mobile device, the capability indicating an ability of transitioning between the first and second ESS wireless networks using the IP address assigned to the mobile device.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the IP address is provided at a media access control (“MAC”) sub-layer by an IP server that accesses the access point.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the IP address is based on a Link Control Protocol (“LCP”), wherein the LCP is used to allow the mobile device to communicate with a wireless network without associating with the wireless network by adding a bit to an Extended Capability information element (“IE”), wherein the bit added to the Extended Capability IE indicates that the mobile device is able to transition between different wireless networks with the IP address sent to the mobile device.
9. A method comprising:
requesting, by a mobile device, an internet protocol (“IP”) address that is available for use by the mobile device in a wireless network;
sending a request for an association with an access point prior to receiving a second IP Address Assignment element, wherein the request comprises a first IP Address Assignment element comprising a first identifier subfield, a first type subfield, and a first subnet mask subfield, the first identifier subfield indicating that the request is for an IP address, the first type subfield indicating whether an IPv4 or IPv6 address type is requested, the first type subfield being 1 octet in length, the first subnet mask subfield being left empty in the first IP Address Assignment element; and
receiving a response comprising the second IP Address Assignment element from the access point, the second IP Address Assignment element comprising a second identifier subfield, a second type subfield, the IP address assigned to the mobile device, and a Domain Name System (DNS) field,
wherein, when the request is for IPv4, the IP address is an IPv4 address included in a payload subfield of the second IP Address Assignment element, the payload subfield being 4 octets in length the second IP Address Assignment element also including a subnet mask subfield, the subnet mask subfield comprising a subnet mask for the IP address assigned to the mobile device,
wherein, when the request is for IPv6, the IP address is an IPv6 address included in the payload subfield of the second IP Address Assignment element, the payload subfield being 16 octets in length,
wherein the request is an association request and the response is an association response, and
wherein the response and the request comprise data link layer messages in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the IP address is assigned by a higher layer entity.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein a subfield of the second IP Address Assignment element comprises a default gateway.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the IP address is received by the mobile device.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the IP address is available through both a first Extended Service Set (ESS) network and a second ESS network, and wherein the mobile device receives a notification from the access point of a capability prior to requesting the association with the access point, the capability indicating an ability of transitioning between the first and second ESS wireless networks using the IP address.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the IP address is provided at a media access control (“MAC”) sub-layer by an IP server that accesses the access point.
15. A method for assigning addresses implemented by a network entity, comprising:
assigning an internet protocol (“IP”) address to a mobile device that is available for use by the mobile device in a wireless network;
prior to sending the IP address to the mobile device, receiving a request from the mobile device for an association with the network entity, the request comprising a first IP Address Assignment element comprising a first identifier subfield, a first type subfield, and a first subnet mask subfield, the first identifier subfield indicating that the request is for an IP address, the first type subfield indicating whether an IPv4 or IPv6 address type is requested, the first type subfield being 1 octet in length, the first subnet mask subfield being left empty in the first IP Address Assignment element;
sending a response comprising a second IP Address Assignment element from the network entity to the mobile device, the second IP Address Assignment element comprising a second identifier subfield, a second type subfield, the IP address assigned to the mobile device, and a Domain Name System (DNS) field,
wherein, when the request is for IPv4, the IP address is an IPv4 address included in a payload subfield of the second IP Address Assignment element, the payload subfield being 4 octets in length, the second IP Address Assignment element also including a subnet mask subfield, the subnet mask subfield comprising a subnet mask for the IP address assigned to the mobile device,
wherein, when the request is for IPv6, the IP address is an IPv6 address included in the payload subfield of the second IP Address Assignment element, the payload subfield being 16 octets in length,
wherein the request is an association request and the response is an association response, and
wherein the response and the request comprise data link layer messages in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the IP address is assigned to the mobile device and the mobile device transitions from a first wireless local area network (WLAN) to a second WLAN while maintaining the assigned IP address, wherein the IP address is exchanged between the mobile device and the network entity at a sublayer of a data link layer.