Re: Manual network access logins (Was: Re: [RAM] The mapping problem: rendezvous points?)

[Brian E Carpenter <[e-mail]>]

On 2007-05-19 08:47, Jari Arkko wrote:
> Gert, Tony,
> 
> 
>>> Mobile IPv6 aka "VoIP connections survive roaming about" sounds like
>>> a good plan for when we have omnipresent IP connectivity without having
>>> to manually login to all these different access points - but this is
>>> some
>>> distant future, at least over here.  Which is why there might not be so
>>> much demand...
> 
> This is indeed a significant problem. As long as the login process
> is manual, all work stops until the user looks at the screen and
> takes out his credit card or types a password. This applies equally
> well to communications that could survive address changes
> (Mobile IPv6, HIP, SIP, etc.) as any other communications, such
> as polling your e-mail server for new messages.
> 
> There are many reasons for this situation both on the technical
> and perhaps even more in the business side. Lack of a technical
> solution is not the problem; we have some and we could easily
> invent more. Its more of a question of how many solutions we
> have, having a solution in all devices as opposed to just most
> of them, suitability of solutions to the different business
> models providers have, etc.
> 
> But I would suggest this is an orthogonal problem to discussing
> routing scalability or even mobility. We know that we as the
> industry must solve the network access problem, if we are
> going to have gadgets that don't need continuous attention
> from their owners and large screens to look at login pages.
> Or $9.95 for every movement to a new administrative
> domain...
> 
>> You can already wander around cities like Mountain View CA with WiFi
>> connectivity.  When WiMax deploys, if even 50% of the hype comes true,
>> this is going to become more common.  And EVDO is already doing this
>> today.
> 
> Or GPRS and UMTS. But you have to separate the the hype
> about wide-spread connectivity of a particular access technology
> and its effect to the network access problem. The problem is
> not lack of wide-spread connectivity, but more in the use
> of different networks. GPRS, UMTS, and perhaps
> EVDO and later WIMAX are capable of serving you all over
> the place. Each of these networks gives you an automatic
> network access mechanisms. No typing, no web pages,
> completely automatic. And even some of the movements
> between these networks work automatically.
> 
> However, not all combinations can be made to work automatically.
> More importantly, there are networks that do not use
> the automatic means or do not have roaming with
> your own provider. E.g., even if you do not need to
> type anything in the new WIMAX network, you probably
> still have to use your credit card or password
> if you switch from WIMAX to a local WiFi network.

And even if that gets solved, you will still need your
security credentials; it's increasingly less likely that a
random network will allow a random user in without credentials.

Are we really boiling that corner of the ocean here?

    Brian

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