GTP Intermediary Device for Wireless Roaming Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless roaming systems lack effective mechanisms to detect and prevent unauthorized or malicious communication sessions due to the absence of provisions in the GPRS tunneling protocol for identifying anomalous packets, which can lead to network abuse and interference.
Innovation Solution
An intermediate device maintains an authentication cache to verify the validity of communication signals by comparing them to stored authentication and configuration records, allowing only authenticated sessions to establish communication connections and dropping anomalous packets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the GPRS tunneling protocol is used to enable wireless roaming communication, then communication connectivity between visited network and home network is established, but the protocol lacks provisions for detecting anomalous packets which leads to network abuse and interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate device positioned between the visited network and home network that acts as a mediator to authenticate GTP packets. This intermediary device maintains authentication records and verifies packet authenticity, thereby resolving the contradiction by adding a security layer without disrupting the existing GTP-based communication connectivity.
2Reliability
If authentication verification mechanisms are added to detect anomalous packets, then network security and integrity are improved, but the complexity of the communication system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication functionality is isolated in a separate intermediate device rather than being integrated into the core GTP protocol or existing network elements. This modular approach improves network security while minimizing the complexity increase in the overall system, as the authentication mechanism can be added without modifying existing protocol stacks.
3Reliability
If the intermediate device maintains authentication cache to verify communication signals, then unauthorized access is restricted and network abuse is prevented, but the processing time and overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate device performs authentication verification in parallel with packet forwarding operations, and maintains a cache of authentication records to avoid repeated verification of the same packets. This preliminary action approach reduces authentication processing time and minimizes the impact on communication throughput.
Data Source
AI summary
A device forwards a set of packets between a first network device, associated with a first network, and a second network device, associated with a second network. The set of packets may be associated with permitting access, by a set of mobile devices connected to the first network, to the second network. The device may generate and store configuration information, identifying the set of mobile devices, based on the set of packets. The device may receive, from a third network device, a request associated with establishing a communication session between the third network device and a fourth network device associated with the second network, may determine, based on the configuration information, whether a particular mobile device, associated with the request, is permitted to establish the communication session, and may selectively create the communication session based on determining that the particular mobile device is permitted to establish the communication session.