Network credentials for wirelessly accessing a LAN via an alternate communications network

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

connecting, by a network device having a credential information transmission module, with a user device via an alternate communications network;

providing, by the network device to the user device and via the alternate communications network, network credentials used for providing the user device with wireless access and connection to a primary communications network;

receiving an update to the network credentials;

providing the updated network credentials to the user device via the alternate communications network;

querying an administrator device for user device authorization based on determining that the user device is not authorized to receive the network credentials; and

receiving a response from the administrator device authorizing the user device to receive the network credentials,

wherein the primary communications network and the alternate communications network are different, and providing the network credentials is based on receiving the response from the administrator device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request to provide the network credentials to the user device, wherein providing the network credentials is based on receiving the request.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the request includes device information associated with the user device.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining whether the user device is authorized to receive the network credentials based on the device information, wherein providing the network credentials is based on determining that the user device is authorized to receive the network credentials.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein determining whether the user device is authorized to receive the network credentials is further based on a whitelist or blacklist stored by the network device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein querying the administrator device includes providing the device information to the administrator device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the device information in an authorized device repository based on receiving the response from the administrator device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network device is one of:

a router;

a switch; and

a hub.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

accessing a stored query for user device authorization stored in the network device by accessing an administrative function of the network device using an administrator device via a web browser; and

providing a response to the stored query via a user interface of the web browser authorizing the user device to receive the network credentials.

10. A computer program product for automatically configuring a user device to wireless access a local area network (LAN) associated with a network device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a user device to cause the user device to:

connect with a network device having a credential information transmission module via an alternate communications network;

receive network credentials from the network device via the alternate communications network;

wirelessly connect to the LAN using the received network credentials;

receive an update to the network credentials;

provide the updated network credentials to the user device via the alternate communications network; and

providing the device information associated with the user device based on connecting with the network device via the alternate communications network,

wherein receiving the network credentials is based on providing the device information, and providing the device information further causes the network device to provide a query to an administrator device to authorize the user device to receive the network credentials based on determining that the user device is not authorized to receive the network credentials.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , further comprising storing the network credentials.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising:

attempting to wirelessly connect to the LAN using the stored network credentials;

receive the updated network credentials from the network device; and

wirelessly connect the LAN using the received updated network credentials.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein providing the device information causes the network device to determine whether the user device is authorized to receive the network credentials based on the device information and to provide the network credentials based on determining that the user device is authorized to receive the network credentials.

14. A system comprising:

a CPU, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage medium associated with a network device having a credential information transmission module;

program instructions to connect with a user device via an alternate communications network, wherein the alternate communications network is a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN);

program instructions to receive a request to provide network credentials used to wirelessly access a primary communications network to the user device;

program instructions to determine whether the user device is authorized to receive the network credentials based on the device information;

program instructions to query an administrator device for user device authorization based on determining that the user device is not authorized to receive the network credentials;

program instructions to receive a response from the administrator device authorizing the user device to receive the network credentials; and

program instructions to provide, to the user device and via the alternate communications network, the network credentials used to wirelessly access a primary communications network, wherein:

the primary communications network is a Local Area Network (LAN) hosted by the network device, wherein:

the providing the network credentials causes the user device to receive and store the network credentials and to connect to the LAN using the network credentials,

the program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory,

the providing the network credentials is based on receiving the request, determining that the user device is authorized to receive the network credentials and receiving the response from the administrator device,

the determining whether the user device is authorized to receive the network credentials is further based on a whitelist or blacklist stored by the network device, and

the request includes device information associated with the user device.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising alternate network communications hardware used to communicate with the user device via the alternate communications network.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the alternate communications hardware includes Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) hardware.

17. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:

program instructions to receive an update to the network credentials; and

program instructions to provide the updated network credentials to the user device via the alternate communications network.