Provisioning of wireless security configuration information in a wireless network environment
A network environment includes a message-processing resource that receives a communication originated by a communication device and transmitted from the communication device over a wireless communication link. By way of non-limiting example, the communication can be a request for retrieval of content from server resource disposed in the network environment. The message-processing resource processes the communication transmitted over the wireless communication link to identify a network address assigned to the communication device. The message-processing resource maps the network address to corresponding status information associated with the communication device. In response to detecting status information indicating that the communication device has not yet been configured with configuration information supporting secured wireless communications of a particular type, the message-processing resource: initiates generation of configuration information supporting subsequent secured wireless communications between the communication device and a corresponding wireless access point, and forwards the configuration information to the communication device.
1. A method comprising:
transmitting a communication from a mobile communication device over a wireless communication link to a respective wireless access point;
in response to transmitting the communication, receiving configuration information at the mobile communication device. the configuration information generated by a provisioning resource, the configuration information including authentication credentials supporting a particular wireless communication protocol;
utilizing the received configuration information to configure the mobile communication device to support subsequent secured wireless communications with the respective wireless access point via the particular wireless communication protocol;
wherein the communication includes a network address of a target source from which the mobile communication device requests retrieval of content; and
wherein the mobile communication device receives the configuration information from a message processing resource that intercepts the communication and communicates the configuration information over the wireless communication link to the mobile communication device in response to detecting that: i) an operator of the mobile communication device subscribes to a network in which the respective wireless access point resides, and ii) the mobile communication device has not yet been provisioned to support the particular wireless communication protocol through the respective wireless access point.
2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein transmitting the communication from the mobile communication device includes: communicating a unique identifier value in the communication transmitted from the mobile communication device over the wireless communication link, the unique identifier value assigned to the mobile communication device.
3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the communication is a request for content from a server resource in a network.
4. The method as in claim 3 further comprising:
receiving the configuration information prior to receiving the requested content.
5. The method as in claim 3 further comprising:
receiving the configuration information and the requested content in response to transmitting the communication.
6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein an operator of the mobile communication device establishes the wireless communication link with the respective wireless access point using an open SSID (Service Set IDentifier).
7. The method as in claim 1 , wherein an operator of the mobile communication device establishes the wireless communication link with the respective wireless access point via use of a secured SSID (Service Set Identifier) that is temporarily allocated for use by the operator to access a network in which the respective wireless access point resides.
8. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the communication includes a request for retrieval of content unrelated to provisioning of the configuration information to the mobile communication device.
9. The method as in claim 8 , wherein the mobile communication device has not yet been provisioned with the configuration information at a time of transmitting the communication over the wireless communication link.
10. The method as in claim 9 , wherein the authentication credentials include a password for use by the mobile communication device to authenticate the mobile communication device to support the subsequent secured wireless communications with the respective wireless access point.
11. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the mobile communication device is automatically provisioned with the configuration information generated by the provisioning resource in response to the provisioning resource detecting that the mobile communication device has not yet been provisioned to support the particular wireless communication protocol.
12. The method as in claim 11 , wherein the respective wireless access point supports the subsequent secured wireless communications with the mobile communication device via the particular wireless communication protocol.
13. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the authentication credentials include a password to authenticate the mobile communication device.
14. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the respective wireless access point is a first wireless access point;
wherein the first wireless access point resides in a network of multiple wireless access points including the first wireless access point and a second wireless access point, the method further comprising:
via the mobile communication device, utilizing the configuration information to establish second wireless connectivity between the mobile communication device and the second wireless access point.
15. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the mobile communication device establishes the wireless communication link with the respective wireless access point via open authentication in which the mobile communication device is not required to provide authentication credentials.
16. The method as in claim 1 , wherein detection that the operator of the mobile communication device subscribes to the network includes detecting presence of the source network address in subscriber information associated with the operator; and
wherein detection that the mobile communication device has not yet been provisioned to support the particular wireless communication protocol includes, via the subscriber information, mapping the source network address to status information indicating that the mobile communication device has not yet been provisioned to support the particular wireless communication protocol through the respective wireless access point.