System and method for automatic wireless network password update

Abstract

A system and method that allows an administrator to set a new password at a wireless access point, such as a traditional WAP or a wireless router. The wireless access point creates a message that includes the new password. The message is encrypted using the old password that was previously set for the wireless network. The encrypted message is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless access point to the active client devices (those clients currently accessing the wireless network). The clients decrypt the message using the old password that was previously provided to the clients. The clients retrieve the new password from the message. The clients construct a new message that is encrypted using the new password. The new message is wirelessly transmitted from the clients to the wireless access device and serves as an acknowledgement.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising: 
 receiving, at a wireless access point, a new password;    creating a first message that includes the new password;    encrypting the first message using a current password used to communicate with the wireless access point;    wirelessly transmitting the encrypted first message to one or more clients;    receiving, at the wireless access point, a first responsive wireless message from one or more of the clients, wherein the first responsive wireless message is encrypted using the new password;    storing the current password as an old password in the wireless access point; and    replacing the current password with the new password in the wireless access point.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 receiving, at the wireless access point, a connection message from a newly activated client, wherein the newly activated client was disconnected when the first message was wirelessly transmitted, and wherein the connection message is encrypted using the old password;    creating a second message that includes the new password;    encrypting the second message using the old password;    wirelessly transmitting the encrypted second message to the newly activated-client; and    receiving, at the wireless access point, a second responsive wireless message from the newly activated client, wherein the second responsive wireless message is encrypted using the new password.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 retrieving a current time and a stored expiration time at the wireless access point;    comparing the current time with the stored expiration time; and    determining whether the old password is expired based on the comparison, wherein the transmission of the second message is only performed in response to determining that the old password is not expired.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising: 
 receiving the expiration time at the wireless access point prior to creating the first message; and    storing the expiration time on a nonvolatile storage area accessible to the wireless access point.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 comparing an identifier corresponding to the newly activated client with one or more client identifiers listed in an access control list (ACL), wherein the second message is only sent if the newly activated client's identifier is included in the access control list.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 retrieving, at the wireless access point, an access control list (ACL) that includes one or more client identifiers, wherein the one or more clients each correspond to one of the client identifiers included in the ACL.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 identifying a denial in the first responsive wireless message received from one of the clients; and    ceasing communications between the wireless access point and the client that included the denial in the first responsive wireless message.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 receiving, at one of the clients, the encrypted first message from the wireless access point;    decrypting the encrypted first message using a wireless access password stored in a nonvolatile storage area accessible to the client;    retrieving the new password from the decrypted first message;    updating the wireless access password with the new password;    storing the updated wireless access password on the nonvolatile storage area;    encrypting, at the client, the first responsive message using the new password; and    wirelessly transmitting the encrypted first responsive message to the wireless access point; and    notifying a user of the client that the wireless access password has been updated.    
   
   
       9 . An information handling system comprising: 
 one or more processors;    one or more network adapters, wherein at least one of the network adapters is a wireless network adapter;    a nonvolatile storage area accessible by the processors;    a process operated by the processors that provides wireless passwords to client devices, the process being effective to: 
 receive a new password;  
 create a first message that includes the new password;  
 encrypt the first message using a current password used to communicate with client devices through the wireless network adapter;  
 wirelessly transmit the encrypted first message to one or more client devices using the wireless network adapter;  
 receive, at the wireless network adapter, a first responsive wireless message from one or more of the client devices, wherein the first responsive wireless message is encrypted using the new password;  
 store the current password as an old password in the nonvolatile storage area; and  
 replace the current password with the new password in the nonvolatile storage area.  
   
   
   
       10 . The information handling system of  claim 9  wherein the process is further effective to: 
 receive, at the wireless network adapter, a connection message from a newly activated client device, wherein the newly activated client device was disconnected when the first message was wirelessly transmitted, and wherein the connection message is encrypted using the old password;    create a second message that includes the new password;    encrypt the second message using the old password;    wirelessly transmit the encrypted second message to the newly activated client device using the wireless network adapter; and    receive, at the wireless network adapter, a second responsive wireless message from the newly activated client device, wherein the second responsive wireless message is encrypted using the new password.    
   
   
       11 . The information handling system of  claim 10  wherein the process is further effective to: 
 retrieve a current time;    retrieve a stored expiration time from the nonvolatile storage area;    compare the current time with the stored expiration time; and    determine whether the old password is expired based on the comparison, wherein the transmission of the second message is only performed in response to determining that the old password is not expired.    
   
   
       12 . The information handling system of  claim 11  wherein the process is further effective to: 
 receive the expiration time from the nonvolatile storage area prior to creating the first message; and    store the expiration time in the nonvolatile storage area.    
   
   
       13 . The information handling system of  claim 10  wherein the process is further effective to: 
 retrieve client identifiers from an access control list stored in the nonvolatile storage area; and    compare an identifier corresponding to the newly activated client with the client identifiers from the access control list (ACL), wherein the second message is only sent if the newly activated client device's identifier is included in the access control list.    
   
   
       14 . The information handling system of  claim 9  wherein the process is further effective to: 
 identify a denial in the first responsive wireless message received from one of the client devices; and    ceasing communications with the client device that included the denial in the first responsive wireless message.    
   
   
       15 . A program product comprising: 
 a computer operable medium having computer readable code, the computer readable code being effective to: 
 receive, at a wireless access point, a new password;  
 create a first message that includes the new password;  
 encrypt the first message using a current password used to communicate with the wireless access point;  
 wirelessly transmit the encrypted first message to one or more clients;  
 receive, at the wireless access point, a first responsive wireless message from one or more of the clients, wherein the first responsive wireless message is encrypted using the new password;  
 store the current password as an old password; and  
 replace the current password with the new password.  
   
   
   
       16 . The program product of  claim 15  wherein the computer readable code is further effective to: 
 receive, at the wireless access point, a connection message from a newly activated client, wherein the newly activated client was disconnected when the first message was wirelessly transmitted, and wherein the connection message is encrypted using the old password;    create a second message that includes the new password;    encrypt the second message using the old password;    wirelessly transmit the encrypted second message to the newly activated client; and    receive, at the wireless access point, a second responsive wireless message from the newly activated client, wherein the second responsive wireless message is encrypted using the new password.    
   
   
       17 . The program product of  claim 16  wherein the computer readable code is further effective to: 
 retrieve a current time and a stored expiration time at the wireless access point;    compare the current time with the stored expiration time; and    determine whether the old password is expired based on the comparison, wherein the transmission of the second message is only performed in response to determining that the old password is not expired.    
   
   
       18 . The program product of  claim 17  wherein the computer readable code is further effective to: 
 receive the expiration time at the wireless access point prior to creating the first message; and    store the expiration time on a nonvolatile storage area accessible to the wireless access point.    
   
   
       19 . The program product of  claim 16  wherein the computer readable code is further effective to: 
 compare an identifier corresponding to the newly activated client with one or more client identifiers listed in an access control list (ACL), wherein the second message is only sent if the newly activated client's identifier is included in the access control list.    
   
   
       20 . The program product of  claim 15  wherein the computer readable code is further effective to: 
 retrieve, at the wireless access point, an access control list (ACL) that includes one or more client identifiers, wherein the one or more clients each correspond to one of the client identifiers included in the ACL.