System and Method for Distributed Network Authentication and Access Control

Abstract

A user gains access to a private network by connecting to a network, either through a hardwired or wireless connection, and then initiates an Internet access request targeting any website. If the user is not already authorized for Internet access, then the user is sent to a first predetermined website that points the user to an authentication server accessible via the Internet. The authentication server sends the user an HTTP form pages requesting authentication information. When the user responds, a network monitoring device within the private network alters the form page to include the user's hardware address and an encoded ID based on the network's location. The authentication server forwards this data to a gate keeper server, which authenticates the new user and transmits an unblock message along with another encoded ID based on the network's location and the user's hardware address.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 629,408 filed Aug. 1, 2000 which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The invention relates to a computer method and system for performing user authentication and access control of data traffic at wireline and wireless entry points to the Internet. [0004] 2. Background of the Related Art [0005] The popularity of the Internet has made a vast amount of information readily available to anyone with an Internet connection. Internet-enabled electronic mail has become an essential form of business communication. Currently, connections to the Internet are predominantly made with landline access links such as dial-up modems, digital subscriber lines, and cable modems. [0006] These types of connections, although pervasive, offer limited mobility to a user and make the sharing of an Internet connecti...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021] It is another object of the present invention to provide a system of facilitating wireless access to the Internet even without the use of an intermediate private network.

[0023] Typically, a private network would respond to a new user attempting to gain access to the network by first attempting to verify the new user's identity and network privileges. If the new user is not among the private network's lists of authorized users, then the private network would have the choice of refusing the new user entry to the network or establishing a temporary session with minimal privileges for the new user under a guest account. If the new user were given a guest account, however, the private network would not have an accurate record of the new user's identity. Thus, most private network choose to refuse entry to any unregistered users. This type of network response is especially problematic in an envisioned distributed network consisting of multiple small private networks responsive to mobile individuals. The present invention seeks to alleviate this predicament by establishing a system by which new users in such “guest” accounts would be accurately identified.

Problems solved by technology

The above described methods of authenticating a user and increasing communication between foreign networks do not address the problem of permitting network access to a mobile user who does not have a registered account with a target network.

Similarly, they do not discuss the infrastructure required to implement such a system.

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