eap Mailing List: RE: RE: FW: I-D ACTION:draft-adrangi-eap-network-discovery-11.txt

[Bernard Aboba (aboba]

> OK, cool.  I must admit to some confusion on this issue: a cursory
> search of IETF liaisons @
> https://datatracker.ietf.org/public/liaisons.cgi didn't turn up
> anything; furthermore, since Bernard is listed as the IETF liaison
> to IEEE 802, I would think that he would be aware of said document.
> I'm not doubting your veracity in the least: it's just a bit weird.

I've dug through my email and IEEE 802 document archive.

It appears that some of the liaison communications were not cc:'d to
statements [at] ietf.org, which may explain why they didn't end up on the
liaisons page.  In any case, they are now available on the web at the
following links:

http://www.drizzle.com/~aboba/IEEE/stuart1.txt
http://www.drizzle.com/~aboba/IEEE/11-04-1109-01-0000-input-to-ietf-from-wien-ad-hoc-september-2004.doc
http://www.drizzle.com/~aboba/IEEE/11-04-xxxx-00-0000-input-to-ietf-from-WIEN-Ad-Hoc-November-2004.doc

Below find the text of the Network Discovery review (the September 2004
document).  Note the reference to potential future standards work in
802.11 (now chartered as 802.11u).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Stuart J.Kerry, Chair IEEE 802.11 Working Group
To:  Harald Alvestrand, IETF Chair
CC:  Bernard Aboba, IETF to IEEE 802 liaison

Title: Review IETF EAP draft documents, September 2004
Purpose: Review of IETF draft-adrangi-eap-network-discovery-03

Dear Harald,

As mentioned in our earlier liaison, the IEEE 802.11 Wireless Interworking
with External Networks Study Group (WIEN SG) is investigating the changes
needed to the IEEE 802.11 specification to support interworking with
external non-IEEE 802.11 networks.

Attached are comments regarding the document "Identity selection hints for
Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)"
(draft-adrangi-eap-network-discovery-03), for IETF consideration.

The draft provides an effective solution for network identity selection at
the EAP level, minimizing the impact on the existing EAP messages, with
very little impact on access points and associated infrastructure.  It is
noted that this solution applies to EAP enabled hotspot deployments only;
it does not apply to those that utilize the web based access methods, such
as the WiFi Alliance Universal Access Method (UAM), mode of
authentication.

Within option 3, network hints are only received when the authentication
attempt cannot be successfully routed to the home network.  This
information may be useful even for a successful attempt, providing similar
functionality to options 1 and 2.

The draft is a reasonable approach for a solution using EAP.  IEEE 802.11
intends to investigate network identity selection solutions that occur at
an earlier stage, prior to association and the subsequent use of EAP.  It
appears that the EAP solution can co-exist with future IEEE 802.11 link
layer solutions.

Potential characteristics of the IEEE 802.11 link layer solution are:

"       It is applicable to both the UAM and IEEE 802.11i based solutions
"       An EAP exchange is not required to receive network information
"       Association attempts with invalid networks are avoided
"       Passive network selection is possible
"       It reduces the message overhead for roaming

We look forward to continued dialogue on network discovery topics.

For IETF reference, ANSI/IEEE Std 802.11 -1999 (2003 Reaffirmation)
edition as amended by IEEE Std 802.11g-2003 and IEEE Std. 802.11h-2003 is
the current version of the IEEE 802.11 Standard.

Please contact Stuart J.Kerry, IEEE 802.11 Working Group Chair together
with Stephen McCann, IEEE 802.11 WIEN SG chair and Dorothy Stanley, IEEE
802.11/IETF Liaison with any questions, and to discuss further IETF
follow-up.

Best Regards,

Stuart J. Kerry

Contact information:
Stuart J Kerry
stuart.kerry [at] philips.com
+1 408 474 7356

Stephen McCann
stephen.mccann [at] roke.co.uk
+44 1794 833341

Dorothy Stanley
dstanley [at] agere.com
+1 630 979 1572