Method and apparatus for MoCA network with protected set-up
Systems and methods are disclosed for securing a network, for admitting new nodes into an existing network, and/or for securely forming a new network. As a non-limiting example, an existing node may be triggered by a user, in response to which the existing node communicates with a network coordinator node. Thereafter, if a new node attempts to enter the network, and also for example has been triggered by a user, the network coordinator may determine, based at least in part on parameters within the new node and the network coordinator, whether the new node can enter the network.
1. A network comprising:
a first node; and
a second node, wherein:
the first node comprises at least one first circuit operable to, at least:
receive a first message from the second node;
determine, based at least in part on privacy status information of the received first message, whether to receive a second node password from the second node; and
when a determination is made to receive the second node password from the second node, then receive the second node password from the second node; and
the second node comprises at least one second circuit operable to, at least:
receive a second message from the first node;
determine, based at least in part on privacy status information of the received second message, whether to send a network node password to the first node; and
when a determination is made to send the network node password to the first node, then send the network node password to the first node,
wherein:
at least a portion of the at least one first circuit is operable to receive the first message from the second node in a first time slot that is known to the first node before the second node transmits the first message; and
at least a portion of the at least one second circuit is operable to receive the second message from the first node in a second time slot that is known to the second node before the first node transmits the second message.
2. A network comprising:
a first node; and
a second node, wherein:
the first node comprises at least one first circuit operable to, at least:
receive a first message from the second node;
determine, based at least in part on a first plurality of privacy flags of the received first message, whether to receive the second node password from the second node; and
when a determination is made to receive the second node password from the second node, then receive the second node password from the second node; and
the second node comprises at least one second circuit operable to, at least:
receive a second message from the first node;
determine, based at least in part on a second plurality of privacy flags of the received second message, whether to send the second node password to the first node; and
when a determination is made to send the network node password to the first node, then send the network node password to the first node.
3. The network of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one first circuit is operable to, when the received first message acknowledges receipt of a particular prior message previously sent by the first node, transmit public key information to the second node.
4. The network of claim 2 , wherein:
the first plurality of privacy flags comprises at least three first bit flags, each of the three first bit flags indicating a respective first privacy parameter; and
the second plurality of privacy flags comprises at least three second bit flags, each of the three second bit flags indicating a respective second privacy parameter.
5. The network of claim 2 , wherein:
the second node is a network coordinator (NC) node of a premises-based coaxial cable communication network; and
the first node is a non-NC node of the premises-based coaxial cable communication network.
6. A network node comprising:
at least one circuit comprising a communication circuit, a processor and memory, wherein at least a portion of the at least one circuit is operable to, at least:
receive a message from a second node;
determine, based at least in part on a plurality of privacy flags of the received message, whether to receive the second node password from the second node; and
when a determination is made to receive the second node password from the second node, then receive the second node password from the second node.
7. The network node of claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one circuit is operable to receive the message from the second node in a time slot that is known to the network node before the second node transmits the message.
8. The network node of claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one circuit is operable to, when the received message acknowledges receipt of a prior message previously sent by the network node, then transmit public key information to the second node.
9. The network node of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of privacy flags comprises at least three bit flags, each of the three bit flags indicating a respective privacy parameter.
10. The network node of claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one circuit is operable to broadcast a Media Access Plan (MAP).
11. The network node of claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one circuit is operable to perform network coordinator functionality for a premises-based coaxial cable network.
12. A network node comprising:
at least one circuit comprising a communication circuit, a processor and memory, wherein at least a portion of the at least one circuit is operable to, at least:
receive a message from a second node;
determine, based at least in part on a plurality of privacy flags of the received message, whether to send the network node password to the second node; and
when a determination is made to send the network node password to the second node, then send the network node password to the second node.
13. The network node of claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one circuit is operable to determine, based at least in part on privacy status information of the received message, whether to receive a second node password from the second node.
14. The network node of claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one circuit is operable to receive the message from the second node in a time slot that is known to the network node before the second node transmits the message.
15. The network node of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of privacy flags comprises at least three bit flags, each of the three bit flags indicating a respective privacy parameter.
16. The network node of claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one circuit is operable to receive a Media Access Plan (MAP).
17. The network node of claim 12 , wherein:
the second node is a network coordinator (NC) node of a premises-based coaxial cable communication network; and
the network node is a non-NC node of the premises-based coaxial cable communication network.