Verizon Communications Inc.
Mutual authentication between wireless access devices

Abstract:

A first wireless access device, associated with a wireless service provider, establishes a wireless local area network connection with a second wireless access device and receives a certificate including a unique identifier associated with the second wireless access device. The first wireless access device determines whether the second wireless access device is authorized to connect to the first wireless access device. For example, if the certificate is signed by a certificate authority associated with the wireless service provider and the unique identifier appears in a whitelist stored at the first wireless access device, the first wireless access device and the second wireless access device perform a mutual authentication procedure based on one or more ephemeral keys. The first wireless access device provides the second wireless access device with access to a wide area network based on successful completion of the mutual authentication procedure.