Wireless Gateway Cloud Authentication for Visitor Bandwidth Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Home network gateways often have unused bandwidth capacity due to underutilization, leading to inefficiencies in internet access distribution.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that configures a wireless local area network gateway to provide access to nearby devices through a cloud-based service provider, utilizing excess bandwidth by authenticating and reconfiguring the gateway based on a visitor's cloud-based identity and relationship with the owner's ISP, allowing secondary access within the unused capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If home network gateways provide internet access to authorized users, then network access capability is improved, but bandwidth capacity remains unused due to underutilization
Solution Approach 1:
The home network gateway is configured to serve multiple functions: providing internet access to both authorized users and nearby visitors. The system enables the gateway to dynamically switch between serving primary users and providing hotspot access to visitors, maximizing bandwidth utilization while maintaining service quality for all user types
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts gateway configuration based on real-time bandwidth utilization. When excess capacity is detected, the gateway automatically enables visitor access; when primary user demand increases, visitor access is restricted or terminated. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making bandwidth allocation flexible rather than static
2Loss of energy
If home network gateways provide internet access to visitors, then bandwidth utilization is improved, but network security and access control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A cloud-based service acts as an intermediary between visitors and the home network gateway. The cloud service handles authentication, authorization, and configuration management, offloading these complex tasks from the gateway itself. This allows the gateway to provide visitor access with minimal security complexity while maintaining proper access control
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service mechanisms where visitors automatically authenticate through cloud-based services without manual configuration. The gateway automatically receives and applies configuration settings from the cloud service, eliminating the need for manual security management and reducing operational complexity
3Ease of operation
If cloud-based configuration is used to manage gateway access, then ease of operation is improved, but communication overhead and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud-based service provider acts as a centralized intermediary that manages configuration for multiple gateways. This consolidates complexity at the cloud level rather than distributing it across individual gateways, making the system easier to operate while managing complexity through centralized control
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and computer program products for configuring wireless local area network gateways to provide visitors with network access, are provided. A nearby client device of a user is provided a first level of access through the wireless local area network gateway to access a cloud-based service provider in a remote network. A determination is made whether a source Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with a request for authentication received from the nearby client device is matched to a public IP address of the wireless local area network gateway. If a match is determined, a configuration setting associated with the nearby client device of the user is received from the cloud-based service provider and the wireless local area network is reconfigured to provide a second level of access to the nearby client device of the user. Corresponding system and computer readable mediums are also provided.