Abstract: An authentication mechanism in a local area network may use a cloud authentication mechanism to allow or deny authentication requests. A user may gain access within a local area network by entering a cloud identification and password, which may be verified by a cloud authentication mechanism. If the authentication is successful from the cloud authentication mechanism, the user identification and password are stored locally for subsequent authentication requests. In some embodiments, the cloud password may be periodically flushed so that subsequent requests may be passed to the cloud authentication mechanism. The authentication mechanism may be used in both domain and workgroup local area networks, and may operate in parallel with other users who may have local area network or client credentials which may not be authenticated from the cloud.

Abstract: A client process may identify a local DNS server and may change a DHCP-supplied DNS setting to the local DNS server when the local DNS server is present. The client process may periodically monitor the local DNS server and, if the local DNS server is not present, the client process may revert the DNS setting to the originally supplied DHCP DNS setting. The client process may actively monitor the local DNS server by initiating communication with the local DNS server, or may passively monitor by listening for activity by the local DNS server.

Abstract: An authentication mechanism in a local area network may use a cloud authentication mechanism to allow or deny authentication requests. A user may gain access within a local area network by entering a cloud identification and password, which may be verified by a cloud authentication mechanism. If the authentication is successful from the cloud authentication mechanism, the user identification and password are stored locally for subsequent authentication requests. In some embodiments, the cloud password may be periodically flushed so that subsequent requests may be passed to the cloud authentication mechanism. The authentication mechanism may be used in both domain and workgroup local area networks, and may operate in parallel with other users who may have local area network or client credentials which may not be authenticated from the cloud.

Abstract: An authentication mechanism in a local area network may use a cloud authentication mechanism to allow or deny authentication requests. A user may gain access within a local area network by entering a cloud identification and password, which may be verified by a cloud authentication mechanism. If the authentication is successful from the cloud authentication mechanism, the user identification and password are stored locally for subsequent authentication requests. In some embodiments, the cloud password may be periodically flushed so that subsequent requests may be passed to the cloud authentication mechanism. The authentication mechanism may be used in both domain and workgroup local area networks, and may operate in parallel with other users who may have local area network or client credentials which may not be authenticated from the cloud.

Abstract: A client process may identify a local DNS server and may change a DHCP-supplied DNS setting to the local DNS server when the local DNS server is present. The client process may periodically monitor the local DNS server and, if the local DNS server is not present, the client process may revert the DNS setting to the originally supplied DHCP DNS setting. The client process may actively monitor the local DNS server by initiating communication with the local DNS server, or may passively monitor by listening for activity by the local DNS server.

Abstract: An authentication mechanism in a local area network may use a cloud authentication mechanism to allow or deny authentication requests. A user may gain access within a local area network by entering a cloud identification and password, which may be verified by a cloud authentication mechanism. If the authentication is successful from the cloud authentication mechanism, the user identification and password are stored locally for subsequent authentication requests. In some embodiments, the cloud password may be periodically flushed so that subsequent requests may be passed to the cloud authentication mechanism. The authentication mechanism may be used in both domain and workgroup local area networks, and may operate in parallel with other users who may have local area network or client credentials which may not be authenticated from the cloud.

Abstract: A management system for remote services may use an administrative server within a local area network to manage the remote services for many manageable entities. The administrative server may connect to a clearinghouse server outside the local area network to obtain information about available remote services and to consolidate some operations for interfacing to the remote services. In some embodiments, the clearinghouse server may act as a proxy for many different remote services and may enable some functions to be aggregated across different remote services, such as billing, authentication, provisioning, and other functions. The administrative server may configure the managed entities to access the remote services as well as other functions.