Methods and Apparatus for Locating a Device Registration Server in a Wireless Network

Methods and apparatus for locating and accessing a data server in a wireless network are disclosed. The disclosed techniques may be used to allow a wireless device provided with temporary credentials to access a wireless network and obtain a network address for a data server for downloading subscription credentials. An exemplary wireless device comprises a processing unit configured to send an access authentication request to a wireless network, and to receive an authentication challenge value from the wireless network in response. The processing unit is further configured to generate a cryptographic response from the authentication challenge value and to send the cryptographic response to the wireless network, and to also derive a data server address from the authentication challenge value. Thus, the authentication challenge value serves two purposes-as a challenge key for use in a network access authentication procedure, and as a carrier for data server address information.