Patent ID: 7555783

Claim:
A wireless network access point (AP) configured to communicate with network nodes using a secure mode of operation, comprising: a wireless transceiver; and a processor configured to provide credentials to a wireless supplicant using the wireless transceiver, the processor being configured to respond to a first credential provisioning request from the wireless supplicant by leaving the secure mode of operation and communicating with the wireless supplicant under open authentication, the processor being further configured to respond to the first credential provisioning request by supplying a password to the wireless supplicant using a first encrypted message, the processor being further configured to supply at least one credential to the wireless supplicant using a second encrypted message in response to a second credential provisional request from the wireless supplicant supplying the password after expiration of a waiting period if the waiting period expires with the processor receiving only the first credential provisioning request such that the wireless supplicant receives said at least one credential to securely authenticate with the AP.