Patent ID: 8887256

Claim:
A method of facilitating a virtual private network (VPN) session over the Internet between a client and a server associated with a home network after the client roams to an access point of a partner network, the method comprising: establishing a secure tunnel through the access point between the client and the home network to facilitate home network authentication of the client, the home network authentication including the client communicating a username and password through the secure tunnel, the secure tunnel carrying the username and password through the access point without exposure of the username and password to the partner network; and if the home network authorizes the username and password, provisioning at least one of the client and the access point with at least a first encryption key, the first encryption key being used to secure the VPN session at least between the access point and the server, the server relying on the first key to authenticate the client for access to the secure information such that communication of the username and password is not needed.