Patent ID: 8196180

Claim:
A method for providing access to a network, wherein a plurality of access points operated by a network provider are coupled to the network, the method comprising: in response to a request from client software on a client computer operated by a user and communicatively coupled to a first access point of the plurality of access points, automatically transmitting, through the first access point, a HTTP redirect message from a device operated by the network provider and coupled to the network to the client software on the client computer, the HTTP redirect message including an activation response message included in one or more HTML comments of the HTTP redirect message, wherein the activation response message is not displayed by a web browser, wherein the activation response message comprises information that indicates a URL of the network provider usable by the client software on the client computer to communicate a username and a password to the network provider, wherein the URL is associated with a first network address associated with the network provider, wherein the first network address is different from a second network address associated with the client computer; receiving, from the client software on the client computer, the username and the password at the first network address, wherein the username and the password are usable to authorize access to the network for a user account of a roaming partner, wherein the roaming partner having a relationship with the user account such that the roaming partner is operable to signal the network provider to permit or deny access to the network; sending the username and the password from the network provider to the roaming partner to determine whether or not the user account is authenticated; receiving an authentication response from the roaming partner; if the authentication response from the roaming partner indicates that the user account is authenticated by the roaming partner, the network provider authorizing access to the network for the user account; and if the authentication response indicates that the user account is not authenticated by the roaming partner, the network provider denying access to the network for the user account.