Thanks to Hotspot 2.0 Release 2 support, Ruckus Smart WiFi products now provide a standardized framework for how user credentials are securely created, configured, and managed on client devices, streamlining and providing client provisioning and offering the industry's first integrated Hotspot 2.0 Release 2, with online registration solution and wireless LAN (WLAN) provisioning server.
Operators and businesses can offer users the ability to register to connect to Wi-Fi services easily and securely using a standards-based method to automatically upload credentials and mobile configuration parameters to Wi-Fi devices, while also enabling link encryption. Despite the popularity of Wi-Fi, connecting to public networks or access points can still be subject to security issues due to the lack of encryption and the inability of a client device to validate the public network or access point.
Hotspot 2.0 Release 2 introduces new capabilities that standardize the provisioning and lifecycle management of user credentials, such as secure delivery, validity and usage in network selection, and service policy enforcement. It also offers continuous management of user subscriptions and any other policy changes that may be necessary.
Hotspot 2.0 Release 2 offers enhanced Wi-Fi security for public access and more robust authentication, along with the ability for Wi-Fi operators to optimize the user experience through improved control over service policy preferences that can be automatically pushed to client devices. Furthermore, once connected to a Wi-Fi network, users are protected against eavesdropping through WPA2 (802.11w) certified WFA Passpoint frames and user traffic link encryption. This also covers the onboarding process, which can now occur on an 802.1X network using EAP, and eliminates the need for an open WLAN for provisioning.
With Release 2, Wi-Fi networks can, for the first time, support online subscription (OSU), a standards-based mechanism that allows users to register for a credential that is automatically downloaded to their device. The Wi-Fi Alliance has also implemented a new public key infrastructure (PKI) to ensure that clients can only register for a credential if the OSU server is validated. These same controls are also used for the policy update and patching features in Release 2.
Ruckus Hotspot 2.0, Release 2 – Ready for rush hour
To achieve Hotspot 2.0, Release 2 WFA Passpoint certification, several Ruckus ZoneFlex™ indoor and outdoor access points (APs), including ZoneFlex 7372, ZoneFlex T300 Series, and ZoneFlex R700, as well as the Ruckus SmartCell™ Gateway (SCG) 200, have demonstrated interoperability with other Passpoint-certified equipment.
Unlike competing solutions that require customers to purchase multiple products, Ruckus now integrates a WLAN controller, online registry, and provisioning server into a single software solution to deliver all the essential services that support Hotspot 2.0, Release 2.
Furthermore, Ruckus' online registration system enables the next generation of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) with the unique ability to use social network logins, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google, with Hotspot 2.0 Release 2 protocols, as well as support for enterprise-class authentication methods using LDAP, Active Director, and AAA servers. This allows social login or any enterprise credential to be automatically connected to the device, so users don't have to log in repeatedly when connecting to a Hotspot 2.0 Release 2 network. With this support, Ruckus is able to offer a single solution that supports legacy (Hotspot 2.0 Release 1) and emerging (Release 2) devices on the same network.
