Establishing a secure wireless network with minimum human intervention

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving an input at the computing device, the input initiating an automatic configuration process to configure a playback network setting of the computing device;

responsive to the input, activating by the computing device, a listen mode;

while in the listen mode, receiving by the computing device from a playback device, a first message that indicates the playback device is available;

in response to receiving the first message, transmitting to the playback device, a request for network information of the playback device and subsequently, receiving from the playback device, a second message indicating network information associated with the playback device;

determining, based on the second message, that the playback device is not configured for a secure playback network, wherein determining, based on the second message, that the playback device is not configured for a secure network comprises determining that the second message indicates empty fields corresponding to a household identification and a network security parameter;

based on the determination, generating network parameters for a specific playback network, the network parameters comprising one or more of a specific household identification and a specific network security parameter;

transmitting to the playback device, a third message to cause the playback device to join the playback network based on the network parameters; and

configuring the playback network setting of the computing device based on the specific household identification and the specific network security parameter.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the network parameters further comprise one or more of a network identification of the playback device and a wireless communication channel for the playback network.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the playback network is a first network, and wherein receiving the first message comprises receiving the first message over a second network different from the first network.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first message indicates that the playback device received a manual user input at the playback device to initiate the automatic configuration process.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein activating the listen mode comprises activating the listen mode for a predetermined duration of time.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the functions further comprise:

subsequent to transmitting the third message, receiving a fourth message indicating that the playback device has applied the network parameters to join the playback network; and

transmitting to the playback device over the playback network, a command to perform a media playback function.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first message further indicates a manual user input at the playback device.

8. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the second message comprises the empty fields corresponding to a household identification and a network security parameter.

9. A method comprising:

receiving an input at a computing device, the input initiating an automatic configuration process to configure a playback network setting of the computing device;

responsive to the input, activating by the computing device, a listen mode;

while in the listen mode, receiving by the computing device from a playback device, a first message that indicates the playback device is available;

in response to receiving the first message, transmitting to the playback device, a request for network information of the playback device and subsequently, receiving from the playback device, a second message indicating network information associated with the playback device;

determining, based on the second message, that the playback device is not configured for a secure playback network, wherein determining, based on the second message, that the playback device is not configured for a secure network comprises determining that the second message indicates empty fields corresponding to a household identification and a network security parameter;

based on the determination, generating network parameters for a playback network, the network parameters comprising one or more of a specific household identification and a specific network security parameter;

transmitting to the playback device, a third message to cause the playback device to join the playback network based on the network parameters; and

configuring the playback network setting of the computing device based on the specific household identification and the specific network security parameter.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the network parameters further comprise one or more of a network identification of the playback device and a wireless communication channel for the playback network.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the playback network is a first network, and wherein receiving the first message comprises receiving the first message over a second network different from the first network.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first message indicates that the playback device received a manual user input at the playback device to initiate the automatic configuration process.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein activating the listen mode comprises activating the listen mode for a predetermined duration of time.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

subsequent to transmitting the third message, receiving a fourth message indicating that the playback device has applied the network parameters to join the playback network; and

transmitting to the playback device over the playback network, a command to perform a media playback function.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first message further indicates a manual user input at the playback device.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second message comprises the empty fields corresponding to a household identification and a network security parameter.

17. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving an input at the computing device, the input initiating an automatic configuration process to configure a playback network setting of the computing device;

responsive to the input, activating a listen mode;

while in the listen mode, receiving from a playback device, a first message that indicates the playback device is available;

in response to receiving the first message, transmitting to the playback device, a request for network information of the playback device and subsequently, receiving from the playback device, a second message indicating network information associated with the playback device;

determining, based on the second message, that the playback device is not configured for a secure playback network, wherein determining, based on the second message, that the playback device is not configured for a secure network comprises determining that the second message indicates empty fields corresponding to a household identification and a network security parameter;

based on the determination, generating network parameters for a playback network, the network parameters comprising one or more of a specific household identification and a specific network security parameter;

transmitting to the playback device, a third message to cause the playback device to join the playback network based on the network parameters; and

configuring the playback network setting of the computing device based on the specific household identification and the specific network security parameter.

18. The computing device of claim 17 , wherein the network parameters further comprise one or more of a network identification of the playback device and a wireless communication channel for the playback network.

19. The computing device of claim 17 , wherein the first message indicates that the playback device received a manual user input at the playback device to initiate the automatic configuration process.

20. The computing device of claim 17 , wherein the functions further comprise:

subsequent to transmitting the third message, receiving a fourth message indicating that the playback device has applied the network parameters to join the playback network; and

transmitting to the playback device over the playback network, a command to perform a media playback function.

21. The computing device of claim 17 , wherein the first message further indicates a manual user input at the playback device.

22. The computing device of claim 17 , wherein the second message comprises the empty fields corresponding to a household identification and a network security parameter.