The activation and configuration of Internet access devices (e.g., routers/modems) and of added-value complex services is a very critical process for Internet Service Providers, who increasingly seek self-installing solutions and/or remote management in order to reduce as much as possible the operations that the users have to perform, and to avoid the presence of skilled staff for each Internet access device to be configured.
An automatic configuration process for an Internet access device is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,088, which discloses an Internet access device that provides valuable features such as a router, firewall, e-mail gateway, web server, and other servers, and that uses an automatic configuration process to handle the task of configuring the Internet access device at a customer site for communication with the Internet. A not yet configured Internet access device is shipped directly to a customer without having to be manually configured first. The customer enters a registration identification number and a telephone number onto the Internet access device. The Internet access device then automatically connects to the Internet, downloads configuration data from a configuration server containing customer site specific configuration data, and then automatically configures itself for communication with the Internet. The Internet access device initially connects to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider over a standard analog telephone line using a standard modem and using a dynamic IP address. Once automatically configured, the Internet access device may then communicate with the Internet using any suitable connection including an analog telephone line, or a higher-speed line such as an ISDN line or a frame relay circuit, and is assigned a static IP address and a range of IP addresses for other devices on its local area network.
Another method for automatic configuration of home network computers solution is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,722, which discloses a distributed computer network comprising of unconfigured network home client computers, and at least one autoconfiguration server. The network may also include sales servers and local service provider servers. The home network client computer determines, upon power on, if it possesses the requisite configuration information. If the requisite configuration information is lacking, the home network client computer sends a configuration request along with client computer identifying information to the autoconfiguration server. On receiving the configuration request from a home network client computer, the autoconfiguration server uses the client identifying information to determine the local service provider information and client computer specific data. The autoconfiguration server determines the local service provider information by looking up a directory of local service providers, the directory being stored on the autoconfiguration server or on some local service provider server. The autoconfiguration server determines the client computer specific data by accessing a database containing client computer information for each home network client computer, the database being stored either on the autoconfiguration server itself or on some sales server. The client computer specific data is stored in the database at time of sale/purchase/shipment of the home network computer to the user. The local service provider information and the client computer specific data is then downloaded to the requesting home network client computer. The home network client computer uses the configuration information downloaded by the autoconfiguration server to configure itself and establish connection to the local service provider.