Provisioning an appliance for network connectivity

1. An apparatus integral with or directly coupled to an appliance, the apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus and thereby the appliance to at least:

connect to a user device at the apparatus configured to operate as a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point, and thereby establish a wireless connection with the user device;

receive a command over the wireless connection from the user device to cause the apparatus to scan for one or more available WLANs and obtain one or more service set identifiers (SSIDs) of the one or more available WLANs;

send the one or more SSIDs over the wireless connection to the user device for display and user selection of a selected SSID of the one or more SSIDs, the selected SSID being of a selected WLAN of the one or more available WLANs; and

receive the selected SSID over the wireless connection from the user device to enable the apparatus to connect directly to the selected WLAN as a WLAN station using the selected SSID.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user device is configured to prompt the user for a password for the selected WLAN, and receive the password manually entered by the user, and

wherein the apparatus being caused to receive the selected SSID includes being caused to receive the selected SSID and the password from the user device to enable the appliance to connect directly to the selected WLAN as a WLAN station using the selected SSID.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the apparatus being caused to receive the selected SSID and the password from the user device includes being caused to receive the selected SSID, the password and an identifier associated with a user account with a service platform configured to provide one or more services for the appliance, and

wherein the memory stores further executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus and thereby the appliance to further send the identifier to the service platform via the selected WLAN to enable the service platform to bind the appliance to the user account.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus being caused to receive the selected SSID from the user device includes being caused to receive the selected SSID and an identifier associated with a user account with a service platform configured to provide one or more services for the appliance, and

wherein the memory stores further executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus and thereby the appliance to further send the identifier to the service platform via the selected WLAN to enable the service platform to bind the appliance to the user account.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is caused to connect to the user device without authentication of the user device or appliance to the other and without user authentication to either the user device or appliance.

6. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to at least:

connect to the appliance configured to operate as a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point, and thereby establish a wireless connection with the appliance;

send a command over the wireless connection to the appliance to cause the appliance to scan for one or more available WLANs and obtain one or more service set identifiers (SSIDs) of the one or more available WLANs;

receive the one or more SSIDs over the wireless connection from the appliance;

display the one or more SSIDs for user selection of a selected SSID of the one or more SSIDs, the selected SSID being of a selected WLAN of the one or more available WLANs; and

send the selected SSID over the wireless connection to the appliance to enable the appliance to connect directly to the selected WLAN as a WLAN station using the selected SSID.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the memory stores further executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to further prompt the user for a password for the selected WLAN, and receive the password manually entered by the user, and

wherein the apparatus being caused to send the selected SSID includes being caused to send the selected SSID and the password to the appliance to enable the appliance to connect directly to the selected WLAN as a WLAN station using the selected SSID.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the apparatus being caused to send the selected SSID and the password to the appliance includes being caused to send the selected SSID, the password and an identifier associated with a user account with a service platform configured to provide one or more services for the appliance, the appliance being configured send the identifier to the service platform via the selected WLAN to enable the service platform to bind the appliance to the user account.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the apparatus being caused to send the selected SSID to the appliance includes being caused to send the selected SSID and an identifier associated with a user account with a service platform configured to provide one or more services for the appliance, the appliance being configured send the identifier to the service platform via the selected WLAN to enable the service platform to bind the appliance to the user account.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the apparatus is caused to connect to the appliance without authentication of the apparatus or appliance to the other and without user authentication to either the apparatus or appliance.

11. A method of provisioning an appliance for network connectivity, the method comprising at the appliance:

connecting to a user device at the appliance configured to operate as a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point, and thereby establishing a wireless connection with the user device;

receiving a command over the wireless connection from the user device to cause the appliance to scan for one or more available WLANs and obtain one or more service set identifiers (SSIDs) of the one or more available WLANs;

sending the one or more SSIDs over the wireless connection to the user device for display and user selection of a selected SSID of the one or more SSIDs, the selected SSID being of a selected WLAN of the one or more available WLANs; and

receiving the selected SSID over the wireless connection from the user device to enable the appliance to connect directly to the selected WLAN as a WLAN station using the selected SSID.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the user device is configured to prompt the user for a password for the selected WLAN, and receive the password manually entered by the user, and

wherein receiving the selected SSID includes receiving the selected SSID and the password from the user device to enable the appliance to connect directly to the selected WLAN as a WLAN station using the selected SSID.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein receiving the selected SSID and the password from the user device includes receiving the selected SSID, the password and an identifier associated with a user account with a service platform configured to provide one or more services for the appliance, and

wherein the method further comprises at the appliance, sending the identifier to the service platform via the selected WLAN to enable the service platform to bind the appliance to the user account.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein receiving the selected SSID from the user device includes receiving the selected SSID and an identifier associated with a user account with a service platform configured to provide one or more services for the appliance, and

wherein the method further comprises at the appliance, sending the identifier to the service platform via the selected WLAN to enable the service platform to bind the appliance to the user account.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein connecting to the user device occurs without authentication of the user device or appliance to the other and without user authentication to either the user device or appliance.

16. A method of provisioning an appliance for network connectivity, the method comprising at a user device:

connecting to the appliance configured to operate as a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point, and thereby establishing a wireless connection with the appliance;

sending a command over the wireless connection to the appliance to cause the appliance to scan for one or more available WLANs and obtain one or more service set identifiers (SSIDs) of the one or more available WLANs;

receiving the one or more SSIDs over the wireless connection from the appliance;

displaying the one or more SSIDs for user selection of a selected SSID of the one or more SSIDs, the selected SSID being of a selected WLAN of the one or more available WLANs; and

sending the selected SSID over the wireless connection to the appliance to enable the appliance to connect directly to the selected WLAN as a WLAN station using the selected SSID.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising at the user device:

prompting the user for a password for the selected WLAN, and receiving the password manually entered by the user,

wherein sending the selected SSID includes sending the selected SSID and the password to the appliance to enable the appliance to connect directly to the selected WLAN as a WLAN station using the selected SSID.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein sending the selected SSID and the password to the appliance includes sending the selected SSID, the password and an identifier associated with a user account with a service platform configured to provide one or more services for the appliance, the appliance being configured send the identifier to the service platform via the selected WLAN to enable the service platform to bind the appliance to the user account.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein sending the selected SSID to the appliance includes sending the selected SSID and an identifier associated with a user account with a service platform configured to provide one or more services for the appliance, the appliance being configured send the identifier to the service platform via the selected WLAN to enable the service platform to bind the appliance to the user account.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein connecting to the appliance occurs without authentication of the user device or appliance to the other and without user authentication to either the user device or appliance.