Patent ID: 8767686

Claim:
A method for execution on a client device of achieving login to a wireless network, the method comprising: employing a first software component stored on the client device to establish a first connection with a wireless network; employing a client utility on the client device to identify that the first software component on the client device has established the first connection with the wireless network; and performing in the client utility on the client device, in response to the identified first connection, a login procedure for authenticating the client device, the login procedure enabling the client device to use the wireless network, wherein the login procedure is performed by the client utility after the first software component has established the first connection with the wireless network, wherein the login procedure includes establishing a high-level connection with the wireless network; wherein the client device includes one or more network interface components operating on the client device, the method further comprising: identifying one or more network interface components operating on the client device; monitoring activity of said identified network interface components, and performing the following in response to the identified network connection: obtaining a network identifier associated with the detected network connection; determining, using the obtained network identifier, whether the detected network connection corresponds to a known network; performing the login procedure to authenticate the client device for the wireless network in a case that the obtained network identifier corresponds to a known network; wherein, prior to performance of the identifying and monitoring steps, the following steps are performed: downloading a client software configured to perform at least the identifying and monitoring steps in response to a sign up process, during which a user creates an account with a wireless provider and provides authentication information to the wireless provider, such that the client software is downloaded together with the authentication information; determining that the step of downloading is complete; and in response to determining that the downloading step is complete, automatically initiating installation of the client software and configuring the client software to use the authentication information input by the user during the sign up process.