Patent ID: 8081568

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, by a first device, a message indicating the beginning of an authentication process to admit a second device to a secure network; determining a timer duration based, at least in part, on a role level assigned to the first device and by operation of one or more computer processors; initiating a timer using the timer duration; and assuming, by the first device, a role for the authentication process to admit the second device to the secure network, based on the timer duration and a logoff message from the second device, comprising: upon determining that the timer expires prior to receiving the logoff message from the second device, assuming a role of authenticator for the authentication process to admit the second device to the secure network; and upon determining that the logoff message is received from the second device prior to the timer expiring, assuming a role of supplicant for the authentication process to admit the second device to the secure network.