Forum Discussion
MFA without a Cellphone
luvsql I don't think any carrier charges for incoming TEXT even when travelling abroad , its only when you send out.
I used to travel a lot and never got charged for receiving the TEXT (SMS).
Until just a couple months ago, I had a T-mobile account that gave me 100 texts, after which is was 10 US cents/text; my impression this was to send OR receive. I text rather rarely and it was an unusual month that I sent received > 20 texts. However, if I had to receive an MFA text, possibly even >once per day, I'd be over the free allotment. It wouldn't be that much, but not negligible, either. I expect my next plan to have unlimited texting, but a company should not assume this. While I am waffling on cell phone carrier, I've been unable to access my company's email for almost 2 weeks. (They dropped the receive call at land line option, because the found it to be unreliable.) I work in a lab and can get by without constant email access, but at least once I didn't know of a data need as quick as I should have. Companies need to consider whether everyone has (free) access to texts.
cpbowcpbow The Authenticator app doesn't require or need any form of network connection if you select the OTP (Code method). Once registered to the user account - it constantly generates codes every 30 seconds or so based on an algorithm or seed which was linked with Azure at time of registration. So when a webpage displays "Enter the Code from your Authenticator" type message - it already knows what the correct code should be - and if you type in the correct code shown in the app - then you get access. The App itself doesn't need to transmit that code to Azure.
cpbowcpbow Yes the app will work with just wifi.
- I have a question: I currently have a cell phone (but no phone number); hence for the moment, I have only WiFi access (at home, work, or elsewhere). If I put the auth app on my phone, would my company's MS mail server be able to send a code to the app if I was on WiFi? I have read a bit here on the MS site, and I haven't seen this discussed.
