Method and system to manage access to a wireless local area network

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, detecting a request for access to a wireless network via an access point. Responsive to a first determination that the identifier corresponds to an entry in the list, access is facilitated to the wireless network via the access point without the equipment of the requesting user providing credentials to the wireless network. The list includes a first set of entries corresponding to a first set of users having unrestricted access and a second set of entries corresponding to a second set of users having restricted access. Responsive to a second determination that the identifier does not correspond to any of the entries, a message is transmitted to equipment of the host regarding the request, and responsive to receiving approval, the list is updated to include the identifier. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a processing system including a processor, a request from equipment of a user for authentication to access a wireless network for initiating a communication session via an access point of the wireless network, wherein the request includes a user identifier for the user;   comparing, by the processing system, the user identifier with entries in a subscriber database of an Internet service provider (ISP);   responsive to a determination that the user identifier does not correspond to any of the entries in the subscriber database, transmitting, by the processing system, a message to equipment of a host regarding the request, wherein the message requests access to the wireless network by the user; and   updating, by the processing system, a user profile of the host to include the user identifier as a user permitted access to the access point, wherein the updating is responsive to receiving approval of the request from the equipment of the host.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the message to equipment of a host causes the equipment of the host to display identifying information relating to the request. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the transmitting the message to equipment of a host causes the equipment of the host to display a name of the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the transmitting the message to equipment of a host causes the equipment of the host to display a Media Access Control (MAC) address associated with the equipment of the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the message to equipment of a host causes the equipment of the host to display a user entry element to accept an acceptance, a denial, a modification, or a combination of these. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processing system, approval of the request from the equipment of the host.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processing system, from the equipment of the host, approval of the request with restrictions on access.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the receiving approval of the request with restrictions on access comprises:
 receiving, by the processing system, approval of the request with one or more of a time duration restriction, a data transfer threshold restriction, a permitted time of day restriction and a restricted time of day restriction.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the processing system, a predetermined restriction associated with the user, wherein the identifying the predetermined restriction is responsive to receiving the approval of the request; and   restricting, by the processing system, access by the user to one or more features of the wireless network.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the processing system, an association of the user with a gray list of users subject to restricted access to one or more features of the wireless network.   
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 a processing system including a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 identifying a request from equipment of a user for authentication access a wireless network for initiating a communication session via an access point of the wireless network, wherein the request includes a user identifier for the user; 
 comparing the user identifier with entries in a subscriber database of a service provider; 
 responsive to a determination that the user identifier does not correspond to any of the entries in the subscriber database, based on the comparing:
 transmitting a message to equipment of a host regarding the request, wherein the message requests access to the wireless network by the user; and 
 responsive to receiving approval of the request from the equipment of the host, updating a user profile of the host to include the user identifier as a user permitted access to the access point. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 restricting access to the wireless network in accordance with access criteria established by the host, wherein the access criteria comprise a type of equipment of the user, a duration of access, a time of day of access, a day of week of access, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the restricting access to the wireless network in accordance with access criteria comprises:
 restricting access to the wireless network in accordance with a requirement for approval from the equipment of the host prior to access by the equipment of the user.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the restricting access to the wireless network in accordance with access criteria comprises:
 restricting access to the wireless network in accordance with association of the user identifier for the user with a list of users having restricted access to the wireless network.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the transmitting a message to equipment of the host regarding the request causes presentation of an access request display element on a display of the equipment of the host, the access request display element including identifying information relating to the request. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 receiving a message at equipment of a host for a wireless network regarding a request from equipment of a user for access to the wireless network for initiating a communication session via an access point of the wireless network, wherein the message includes a user identifier for the user, wherein the message comprises a request for access to the wireless network by the user, wherein the message is received at the equipment of the host in response to a determination that the user identifier does not correspond to any entry in a subscriber database;   providing, by the equipment of the host, approval of the request; and   updating a user profile of the host to include the user identifier as a user permitted access to the access point.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the receiving a message at equipment of the host comprises:
 receiving the message at the equipment of the host in response to a comparison of the user identifier with entries in the subscriber database of a service provider accessible through a network of the service provider and a failure to locate the user identifier in the subscriber database.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the providing the approval of the request comprises:
 providing the approval of the request with restrictions on access by the equipment of the user.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the providing the approval of the request comprises:
 providing the approval of the request with one or more of a time duration restriction, a data transfer threshold restriction, a permitted time of day restriction and a restricted time of day restriction.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 identifying a predetermined restriction associated with the user or the equipment of the user, wherein the identifying a predetermined restriction is based on user identifier for the user; and   identifying an association of the user with a gray list of users subject to restricted access to one or more features of the wireless network.