Network discovery and selection
Network discovery comprises discovering networks being available for a device and automatically providing communication settings for at least one of discovered networks to the device. The network discovery may be device initiated or network-initiated. The communication settings provision may be effected by network discovery functionality or another functionality such as device management functionality.
1. A method comprising:
sending a network discovery request to a network element, wherein the network discovery request is initiated by a mobile device;
receiving a network discovery message by the mobile device, the network discovery message comprising information on discovered networks from said network element;
sending a request for communication settings for at least one of discovered networks to said network element, wherein said request for the communication settings is comprised in said network discovery request;
receiving, by the mobile device, the communication settings for at least one of the discovered networks from said network element;
selecting a wireless local area network (WLAN) hot spot as a network access point on the basis of the discovered networks;
configuring, by the mobile device, in accordance with the received communication settings for accessing the wireless local area network (WLAN) hot spot on the basis of the received communication settings; and
accessing the wireless local area network (WLAN) hot spot on the basis of the received communication settings,
wherein the communications settings comprise wireless local area network (WLAN) security settings that include Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) keys.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said received communication settings are comprised in said received network discovery message.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said received communication settings comprise at least one of account information, security settings, authentication credentials, communication credentials, and network access information.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the communication settings comprise a WLAN service set identifier.
5. A method comprising:
receiving, by an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) network entity, a network discovery request initiated by a mobile device;
sending, by the ANDSF network entity, a network discovery message comprising information on discovered networks to said mobile device;
receiving a request for communication settings for at least one of discovered networks from the mobile device, wherein said request for the communication settings is comprised in said network discovery request;
obtaining, by the ANDSF network entity, communication settings for at least one of the discovered networks; and
providing, by the ANDSF network entity, said communication settings for said at least one of the discovered networks to said mobile device,
wherein the communications settings comprise wireless local area network (WLAN) security settings that include Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) keys.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said provided communication settings are provided in said received network discovery message.
7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said provided communication settings comprise at least one of account information, security settings, authentication credentials, communication credentials, and network access information.
8. An apparatus comprising:
a transmitter configured to send a network discovery request to a network element, wherein the network discovery request is initiated by a mobile device;
a receiver configured to receive a network discovery message comprising information on discovered networks from said network element;
the transmitter configured to send a request for communication settings for at least one of discovered networks to said network element, wherein said request for the communication settings is comprised in said network discovery request;
the receiver configured to receive the communication settings for at least one of the discovered networks from said network element; and
a processor configured to
select a wireless local area network (WLAN) hot spot as a network access point on the basis of the discovered networks;
configure in accordance with the received communication settings for accessing the wireless local area network (WLAN) hot spot on the basis of the received communication settings; and
access the wireless local area network (WLAN) hot spot on the basis of the received communication settings,
wherein the communications settings comprise wireless local area network (WLAN) security settings that include Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) keys.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said received communication settings are comprised in said received network discovery message.
10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said received communication settings comprise at least one of account information, security settings, authentication credentials, communication credentials, and network access information.
11. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the communication settings comprise a WLAN service set identifier.
12. An apparatus comprising:
an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) network entity, the ANDSF network entity comprising
a receiver configured to receive a network discovery request from a mobile device;
a transmitter configured to send a network discovery message comprising information on discovered networks to said mobile device;
the receiver configured to receive a request for communication settings for at least one of discovered networks from the mobile device, wherein said request for the communication settings is comprised in said network discovery request;
a processor configured to obtain said communication settings for at least one of the discovered networks and to provide said communication settings for said at least one of the discovered networks to said mobile device,
wherein the communications settings comprise wireless local area network (WLAN) security settings that include Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) keys.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said provided communication settings are provided in said received network discovery message.
14. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said provided communication settings comprise at least one of account information, security settings, authentication credentials, communication credentials, and network access information.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code means being arranged, when run on a processor of an apparatus, to perform a method comprising:
sending a network discovery request to a network element, wherein the network discovery request is initiated by a mobile device;
receiving a network discovery message by the mobile device, the network discovery message comprising information on discovered networks from said network element;
sending a request for communication settings for at least one of discovered networks to said network element, wherein said request for the communication settings is comprised in said network discovery request;
receiving the communication settings for at least one of the discovered networks from said network element;
selecting a wireless local area network (WLAN) hot spot as a network access point on the basis of the discovered networks;
configuring in accordance with the received communication settings for accessing the wireless local area network (WLAN) hot spot on the basis of the received communication settings; and
accessing the wireless local area network (WLAN) hot spot on the basis of the received communication settings,
wherein the communications settings comprise wireless local area network (WLAN) security settings that include Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) keys.
16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code means being arranged, when run on a processor of an apparatus, to perform a method comprising:
receiving, by an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) network entity, a network discovery request from a mobile device;
sending, by the ANDSF network entity, a network discovery message comprising information on discovered networks to said mobile device;
receiving a request for communication settings for at least one of discovered networks from the mobile device, wherein said request for the communication settings is comprised in said network discovery request;
obtaining, by the ANDSF network entity, communication settings for at least one of the discovered networks; and
providing, by the ANDSF network entity, said communication settings for said at least one of the discovered networks to said mobile device,
wherein the communications settings comprise wireless local area network (WLAN) security settings that include Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) keys.