Distributed network communication system which allows multiple wireless service providers to share a common network infrastructure

Abstract

System and method for providing access to multiple wireless service providers (WSPs) on a shared network infrastructure. The system includes a plurality of access points (APs) coupled to a network which may be distributed in airports, mass-transit stations, businesses, etc. The network may couple to a wide area network, such as the Internet. Each AP may include a plurality of virtual APs (VAPs), each corresponding to a WSP. A portable computing device (PCD) of a user stores identification information indicating a WSP of a plurality of possible WSPs, and which may include an access level of the user. Each AP "listens for" or detects identification information associated with numerous WSPs. When the AP receives the identification information from the PCD, it determines the VAP / WSP for the PCD using the identification information. Network access is then provided to the PCD through the determined WSP at the determined access level.

Description

CONTINUATION DATA[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 09 / 551,291 titled "A Distributed Network Communication System which Enables Multiple Network Providers to Use a Common Distributed Network Infrastructure" and filed on Apr. 18, 2000, whose inventors are Brett B. Stewart, James W. Thompson and Kathleen E. McClelland.[0002] 1. Field of the Invention[0003] This invention relates generally to wireless network communications, and more specifically to a system and method enabling a network infrastructure to support multiple wireless service providers and / or customers of multiple wireless service providers. The invention also relates to a system and method enabling different access levels within a wired or wireless network system.[0004] 2. Description of the Relevant Art[0005] Various types of wired and wireless infrastructures are being developed to service users of computing devices, such as portable computing devices (PCDs). Currently, numerous wir...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, when two or more providers install a wireless network infrastructure in a single location, such as an airport, the providers begin to oversubscribe the RF domain.

In other words, the electromagnetic spectrum usable by these wireless networks is limited, and if two or more wireless networks are installed in the same location, this may result in inadequate RF bandwidth for use by each of these networks.

Once the available channels are used, perhaps one by each provider of a wireless infrastructure, no further bandwidth is available for other providers without the potential for harmful co-interference and the resultant reduction in available bandwidth.

TACACS+, a similar protocol developed by Cisco Systems, is also used by some providers, although it suffers from security issues in common implementations.

However, this seeming ease of implementation hides other issues which remain unsolved via this approach.

Since Wireless LANs are not "dial-up" by their very nature, several assumptions which are "built-in" to the RADIUS and TACACS+ protocols have the potential to limit the type and number of services deployed over wireless LANs.

RADIUS has its share of security issues as well.

While this security hole is only possible if the attacker is able to "sniff" communications between the RADIUS server and client, wireless networks make this type of unauthorized access even more likely.

However, the most glaring issue associated with using a common authentication / accounting system is that any approach that ties the authentication and accounting systems of a set of WSPs together does nothing to solve problems related to "ESSIDs", described below.

However, this creates a problem: Each AP can only support one ESS and one associated ESSID.

This leads to co-interference, over-subscription of the RF environment and resultant lack of available bandwidth, as described above.

There are also numerous issues associated with using a common ESSID to support multiple WSPs in a common network infrastructure.

First, a common network infrastructure with a shared ESSID would result in insufficient network security.

Second, to rely on coordination of ESSIDs among a potentially large number of WSPs seems questionable at best.

Even if these steps are taken, once every WSP has chosen to use the same ESSID, a new problem occurs.

Further, global coordination around a single ESSID (combined with a common authentication system) does not solve the problem.

This would likely be too inconvenient for most users.

Also implied is that any resource located on the network (such as file or video servers, voice gateways, and otherwise secured facilities of other airport tenants) is available to all users of the wireless infrastructure, and thus no service differentiation is possible.

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