Patent ID: 8353052

Claim:
A system comprising: a proxy associated with a personal network; and a mobile communications device associated with the personal network, where the mobile communications device is to: send personal network connection information to a guest device, the personal network connection information including an internet protocol (IP) address for the proxy; generate authentication credentials, where the authentication credentials include a type of access granted to the guest device, the type of access including a privilege afforded to the guest device, the afforded privilege comprising at least one of a first privilege to receive output data from the personal network using the guest device or a second privilege to input data to the personal network using the guest device; and send the authentication credentials to the guest device, where the guest device does not communicate with the proxy until the guest device receives both the personal network connection information and the authentication credentials; where the proxy is to: receive the authentication credentials from the guest device, and authenticate the guest device based on the authentication credentials received from the guest device and authorize the guest device to access content stored in the personal network based at least partially on the type of access granted to the guest device, where the authentication credentials are first authentication credentials and include information indicative of a first expiration time, where, prior to the first expiration time, the proxy re-authenticates the guest device based on the first authentication credentials, where, after the first expiration time, the mobile communications device, in response to receiving a request for credentials from the guest device, generates second authentication credentials and transmits the second authentication credentials to the guest device, where the second authentication credentials include a second expiration time after which the second authentication credentials are not valid, and where, prior to the second expiration time, the proxy re-authenticates the guest device based on the second authentication credentials.