Validating user information prior to switching internet service providers

Abstract

Inconveniences in switching from one Internet service provider (ISP) to another ISP are remedied by providing streamlined approaches that facilitate the migration from one ISP to another ISP. In one embodiment, user information is validated prior to migrating from the old ISP to the new ISP, thereby ensuring proper transfer of information from the old ISP to the new ISP.

1 . A method for facilitating migration from an old Internet service provider (ISP) to a new ISP, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (A) prompting a user for user information, the user information comprising: 
 (A1) an old ISP user name for the old ISP;  
 (A2) an old ISP password associated with the old ISP user name;  
 (A3) a new ISP user name for the new ISP; and  
 (A4) a new ISP password associated with the new ISP user name;  
   (B) receiving the user information in response to the prompting step;    (C) issuing a first request to the old ISP, the first request indicating an attempt to login to the old ISP using the old ISP user name and the old ISP password;    (D) receiving a first validation result from the old ISP in response to issuing the first request, the first validation result being selected from a group consisting of: 
 (D1) a successful login; and  
 (D2) an unsuccessful login  
   (E) issuing a second request to the new ISP, the second request indicating an attempt to login to the new ISP using the new ISP user name and the new ISP password;    (F) receiving a second validation result from the new ISP in response to issuing the first request, the second validation result being selected from a group consisting of: 
 (F1) a successful login; and  
 (F2) an unsuccessful login  
   (G) storing the old ISP user name and the old ISP password in response to the first validation result being a successful login; and    (H) storing the new ISP user name and the new ISP password in response to the second validation result being a successful login.    
   
   
       2 . A method for facilitating migration from an old Internet service provider (ISP) to a new ISP, the method comprising the steps of: 
 prompting a user for user information, the user information comprising an old ISP user name, an old ISP password, a new ISP user name, and a new ISP password;    receiving the user information in response to the prompting step;    validating the user information; and    storing the validated user information.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of validating the user information comprises the steps of: 
 issuing post office protocol  3  (POP3) USER command to a new ISP email server;    receiving a first reply from the new ISP email server in response to the issued POP3 USER command, the first reply being selected from a group consisting of: 
 a positive first reply indicative of a valid email account; and  
 a negative first reply indicative of an error;  
   issuing a POP3 PASS command to the new ISP email server, the POP3 PASS command being issued in response to the reply being a positive reply; and    receiving a second reply from the new ISP email server in response to the issued POP3 PASS command, the second reply being selected from a group consisting of: 
 a positive second reply indicative of a successful access to the email account; and  
 a negative second reply indicative of an error.  
   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of validating the user information comprises the steps of: 
 issuing post office protocol  3  (POP3) USER command to a old ISP email server;    receiving a first reply from the old ISP email server in response to the issued POP3 USER command, the first reply being selected from a group consisting of: 
 a positive first reply indicative of a valid email account; and  
 a negative first reply indicative of an error;  
   issuing a POP3 PASS command to the old ISP email server, the POP3 PASS command being issued in response to the reply being a positive reply; and    receiving a second reply from the old ISP email server in response to the issued POP3 PASS command, the second reply being selected from a group consisting of: 
 a positive second reply indicative of a successful access to the email account; and  
 a negative second reply indicative of an error.  
   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of validating the user information comprises the steps of: 
 attempting to login to an old ISP email account using the old ISP user name and the old ISP password; and    attempting to login to a new ISP email account using the new ISP user name and the new ISP password.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of attempting to login to the old ISP email account comprises the steps of: 
 issuing a request to an old ISP email server, the request including the old ISP user name and the old ISP password; and    receiving a reply from the old ISP email server, the reply being indicative of a result selected from the group consisting of: 
 a successful login to the old ISP email server; and  
 an unsuccessful login to the old ISP email server.  
   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the step of storing the validated user information comprises the steps of: 
 storing the old ISP user name and the old ISP password in response to the result being a successful login to the old ISP email server.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of attempting to login to the new ISP email account comprises the steps of: 
 issuing a request to a new ISP email server, the request including the new ISP user name and the new ISP password; and    receiving a reply from the new ISP email server, the reply being indicative of a result selected from the group consisting of: 
 a successful login to the new ISP email server; and  
 an unsuccessful login to the new ISP email server.  
   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of storing the validated user information comprises the steps of: 
 storing the new ISP user name and the new ISP password in response to the result being a successful login to the new ISP email server.    
   
   
       10 . A computer-readable medium comprising: 
 computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to prompt a user for user information, the user information comprising an old Internet service provider (ISP) user name, an old ISP password, a new ISP user name, and a new ISP password;    computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive the user information in response to the prompting step;    computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to validate the user information; and    computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to store the validated user information.    
   
   
       11 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the computer-readable code adapted to instruct the programmable device to validate the user information comprises: 
 computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to issue post office protocol 3 (POP3) USER command to a new ISP email server;    computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive a first reply from the new ISP email server in response to the issued POP3 USER command, the first reply being selected from a group consisting of: 
 a positive first reply indicative of a valid email account; and  
 a negative first reply indicative of an error;  
   computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to issue a POP3 PASS command to the new ISP email server, the POP3 PASS command being issued in response to the reply being a positive reply; and    computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive a second reply from the new ISP email server in response to the issued POP3 PASS command, the second reply being selected from a group consisting of: 
 a positive second reply indicative of a successful access to the email account; and  
 a negative second reply indicative of an error.  
   
   
   
       12 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the computer-readable code adapted to instruct the programmable device to validate the user information comprises: 
 computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to attempt login to an old ISP email account using the old ISP user name and the old ISP password; and    computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to attempt login to a new ISP email account using the new ISP user name and the new ISP password.    
   
   
       13 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the computer-readable code adapted to instruct the programmable device to attempt login to the old ISP email account comprises: 
 computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to issue a request to an old ISP email server, the request including the old ISP user name and the old ISP password; and    computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to receive a reply from the old ISP email server, the reply being indicative of a result selected from the group consisting of: 
 a successful login to the old ISP email server; and  
 an unsuccessful login to the old ISP email server.  
   
   
   
       14 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the computer-readable code adapted to instruct the programmable device to store the validated user information comprises: 
 computer-readable code adapted to instruct a programmable device to store the old ISP user name and the old ISP password in response to the result being a successful login to the old ISP email server.    
   
   
       15 . A system for facilitating migration from an old Internet service provider (ISP) to a new ISP, the system comprising: 
 prompting logic configured to prompt a user for user information, the user information comprising an old Internet service provider (ISP) user name, an old ISP password, a new ISP user name, and a new ISP password;    receiver logic configured to receive the user information in response to the prompting step;    validation logic configured to validate the user information; and    storage logic configured to store the validated user information.    
   
   
       16 . A system for facilitating migration from an old Internet service provider (ISP) to a new ISP, the system comprising: 
 means for prompting a user for user information, the user information comprising an old Internet service provider (ISP) user name, an old ISP password, a new ISP user name, and a new ISP password;    means for receiving the user information in response to the prompting step;    means for validating the user information; and    means for storing the validated user information.