Patent ID: 7876735

Claim:
A communication protocol for communicating between a wireless access point of a communications network and a mobile user device, the protocol comprising acts, performed by the mobile user device, of: (A) prior to the mobile user device attempting to establish a connection to the wireless access point, receiving a single beacon communication from the wireless access point communicating the availability of multiple wireless networks through the wireless access point, the single beacon communication comprising: a first information element specifying a service set identifier for a first wireless network of the multiple wireless networks, whether the first wireless network provides wireless provisioning information, and whether the first wireless network provides security in accordance with a particular wireless security technology; and a second information element specifying a service set identifier for each of one or more other wireless networks of the multiple wireless networks, whether each of the one or more other wireless networks provides wireless provisioning information, and whether each of the one or more other wireless networks provides security in accordance with a particular wireless security technology; and (B) using at least the information in the single beacon communication specifying whether the first wireless network and the one or more other wireless networks provides wireless provisioning information and whether the first wireless network and the one or more other wireless networks provides security in accordance with a particular wireless security technology to automatically, without user intervention, select one of the multiple wireless networks with which to connect.