I'm curious, can someone provide a simple several paragraph, basic
explanation of how satellite radio authentication works? eg. If the radio
is
only a receiver and I cancel my subscription how does the radio know that
the subscription has been canceled (do they send it a list of all valid
radios)?

Thanks

"Jack B. Pollack" <N@NE.nothing> wrote in message
news:480b5980$0$30157$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
I'm curious, can someone provide a simple several paragraph, basic
explanation of how satellite radio authentication works? eg. If the
radio
is
only a receiver and I cancel my subscription how does the radio know
that
the subscription has been canceled (do they send it a list of all valid
radios)?

Thanks




My guess:

They probably send out programming information occasionally to tell your
radio to ignore them... "number 102374 has not paid its bill, it should
stop
listening, be a good boy". The radio probably then deletes some kind of
decryption key it has stored.

Here are seemingly better informed guesses from Wikipedia:

`Each receiver has an Electronic Serial Number (ESN) Radio ID to identify
it. When a unit is activated with a subscription, an authorization code is
sent in the digital stream telling the receiver to allow access to the
blocked channels. Most services have at least one "free to air" or "in the
clear" (ITC) channel as a test. For example, Sirius uses channel 184,
Sirius
Weather & Emergency.'

Regards,
Bob Monsen