Patent ID: 8856290

Claim:
A method of exchanging configuration information for authenticating an unregistered Wi-Fi client device to an access point (AP) of a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising the steps of: enabling a primary service set identifier (SSID) of the AP and a temporary hidden secondary SSID of the AP for a preset time period with a residential gateway providing the AP of the WLAN; receiving a message request with the residential gateway to the temporary hidden secondary SSID of the AP during the preset time period for network configuration information via wireless communication in the form of Internet Protocol (IP) User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets; and transmitting requested network configuration information via return message wireless communication in the form of IP UDP packets on the temporary hidden secondary SSID of the AP from the residential gateway; wherein the residential gateway is configured to permit only one unregistered client device at a time to request configuration information.