Disclosed is a mechanism for securely provisioning a client by authenticating that client during a dynamic configuration process. Rather than relying on post-configuration authentication schemes, the present invention combines security and dynamic configuration into a unified scheme. Any client device attempting to access a network may request configuration information from a configuration server associated with that network, but the server does not comply with the request until the client has successfully authenticated itself as a device authorized to receive configuration information for the network. The configuration server may provide the client with temporary configuration information that allows the client to proceed with the authentication process but that denies the client full access to the network. Upon successful authentication, the server may give the client new, non-temporary configuration information or may change the status of the information already given from temporary to a status giving fuller access.