Patent ID: 8588741

Claim:
A method for performing an authentication process in a wireless network, the method comprising: receiving a wireless connection request from an access terminal; establishing a High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) connection between the access terminal and an access network; performing access authentication of the access terminal using one or more methods in accordance with Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) over the HRPD connection, the performing access authentication comprising: sending an EAP request identity message to the access terminal; receiving an EAP response identity message from the access terminal; and sending information in the received EAP response identity message to an authentication device operable for authenticating the access terminal, the sending the information comprising sending the information to a home authentication device of the access terminal if it is determined that the access terminal is visiting; establishing a connection between the access network and a packet data serving node; and after access authentication, performing an EAP service authentication process between the packet data serving node and the access terminal over the HRPD connection.