Patent ID: 8601103

Claim:
A method comprising: determining by a manageability core (MC) that an access point (AP) is manageability enabled; establishing an initial secure tunnel between the MC and a policy decision point (PDP) utilizing one of a startup configuration and stored network connection policy information elements (NetPolicyIEs); providing the PDP with platform posture information for the MC via the initial secure tunnel; negotiating new NetPolicyIEs with the PDP, using at least one beacon, at least one probe request, and at least one probe response, based on the platform posture information; and propagating by the PDP the new NetPolicyIEs to the AP and the MC via the initial secure tunnel, wherein the new NetPolicyIEs allow the MC to enter, via the AP, a network associated with the AP without the MC having to implement a full feature set of a conununications protocol that is otherwise used by the network; wherein the entry of the MC into the network is in accordance with the new NetPolicyIEs that were negotiated with the PDP; and wherein the new NetPolicyIEs comprise a plurality of conditions upon which re-authentication is to be performed; a credential identifier field indicating, to the MC, to use specified credentials; a re-authentication period field that causes the MC to re-authenticate once per a specified re-authentication period; and a deep power save sleep period field indicating to the MC that the MC is permitted to sleep for a specified period.