Switch Wake-on-LAN for IoT Authentication Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
IoT devices that are non-chatty, or inactive for extended periods, face authentication delays and potential security threats due to log-off periods in network authentication mechanisms, leading to increased latency and risk of remaining authenticated even when non-functional or removed from the network.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a guaranteed wakeup timer and a Wake-on-LAN module in network switches to periodically refresh the authentication state of IoT devices, ensuring they remain connected and authenticated without unnecessary delays or security risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Mac-based authentication with log-off period is used for IoT devices, then security is improved by automatically logging off inactive devices, but latency increases when devices need to re-authenticate after silence periods
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication before the log-off period expires by sending a wake-up packet to the IoT device. This preliminary action refreshes the authentication state proactively, preventing the device from being logged off and eliminating the need for re-authentication, thus resolving the latency issue while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic monitoring and wake-up packet transmission at intervals before the log-off period expires. This periodic action ensures that authenticated devices remain in authenticated state without requiring full re-authentication, balancing security requirements with low latency for time-critical information
2Reliability
If log-off period is enforced for inactive IoT devices, then security is improved by removing authenticated status of non-functional devices, but productivity decreases due to re-authentication delays for functional devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system sends wake-up packets as a preliminary action to devices before their log-off period expires. This allows functional devices to refresh their authentication state proactively, ensuring they remain in authenticated state and can immediately process time-critical information without re-authentication delays, thus maintaining productivity while security is preserved
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors device activity and sends wake-up packets based on feedback about device status. By detecting which devices are still functional through their response to wake-up packets, the system can maintain authenticated state for productive devices while allowing log-off for non-functional ones, thus preserving both security and productivity
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for managing non-chatty IoT devices in a network are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving classification information identifying that an internet IoT device is connected to a port of a switch and determining that the IoT device has been inactive for a predetermined threshold period of time based on a logoff timer configured for the port. The IoT device is woken up from a power-save mode based on a guaranteed wakeup timer of the IoT device or a Wake-on-LAN packet sent to the IoT device by the switch. The logoff timer is then resent, causing the IoT device to remain in an authenticated state. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.