Controlling concurrent usage of network resources by multiple users at an entry point to a communications network based on identities of the users
First Claim
1. A method of using a network device of a communications network to control usage of network resources of the communications network by a plurality of users, wherein the network device serves as an entry point to the communications network for the plurality of users and includes a port module, the port module connected by a transmission medium to a first user device used by a first of the plurality of users and located externally to the communications network and the port module connected by the transmission medium to a second user device used by a second of the plurality of users and located externally to the communications network, the method comprising an act of:
- (A) configuring the port module with one or more packet rules, wherein at least a first of the one or more packet rules is associated with the identity of the first user and at least one of the packet rules is associated with the identity of the second user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Controlling a user'"'"'s usage of network resources, after the user has been authenticated, without using any network resources beyond the user'"'"'s entry point to the network. A plurality of users may be connected to an entry point of a network of a network device by a shared transmission medium. Each users'"'"' usage of network resources is controlled, after such user has been authenticated, without using any network resources beyond such user'"'"'s entry point to the network. For each one or more users, packet rules may be provisioned to the user'"'"'s entry point to the network, where such entry point may be shared with other users. The packet rules may be applied to each packet received from the user before any network resources beyond the entry point are used. These packet rules may be associated with an identity of the user and then provisioned to the user'"'"'s entry point in response to the user being authenticated. If a plurality of users are connected to an entry point by a shared transmission medium, packet rules associated with the users may be provisioned to the entry point and applied to packets received from the users before any network resources beyond the entry point are used. Such packet rules may be provisioned to a number of network entry devices and may serve as a distributed firewall for users of a network, as opposed to a centralized firewall. An entry port module of a network entry device may be configured based on an identity of one or more users as a result of the authentication of the one or more users, respectively, and each packet received from each user may be examined to control usage of network resources by the user.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of using a network device of a communications network to control usage of network resources of the communications network by a plurality of users, wherein the network device serves as an entry point to the communications network for the plurality of users and includes a port module, the port module connected by a transmission medium to a first user device used by a first of the plurality of users and located externally to the communications network and the port module connected by the transmission medium to a second user device used by a second of the plurality of users and located externally to the communications network, the method comprising an act of:
(A) configuring the port module with one or more packet rules, wherein at least a first of the one or more packet rules is associated with the identity of the first user and at least one of the packet rules is associated with the identity of the second user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A network device of a communications network for controlling usage of network resources of the communications network by a plurality of users, wherein the network device serves as an entry point to the communications network for the plurality of users and includes a port module, the port module connected by a transmission medium to a first user device used by a first of the plurality of users and located externally to the communications network and the port module connected by the transmission medium to a second user device used by a second of the plurality of users and located externally to the communications network, the port module comprising:
port configuration logic to configure the port module with one or more packet rules, wherein at least a first of the one or more packet rules is associated with the identity of the first user and at least one of the one or more packet rules is associated with the identity of the second user. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A network device of a communications network for controlling usage of network resources of the communications network by a plurality of users, wherein the network device serves as an entry point to the communications network for the plurality of users and includes a port module, the port module connected by a transmission medium to a first user device used by a first of the plurality of users and located externally to the communications network and the port module is connected by the transmission medium to a second user device used by a second of the plurality of users and located externally to the communications network, the network device comprising:
means for configuring the port module with one or more packet rules associated with an identity of the first user and an identity of the second user, wherein at least a first of the one or more packet rules is associated with the identity of the first user. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer program product, comprising:
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a computer-readable medium; and
computer-readable signals stored on the computer-readable medium that define instructions that, as a result of being executed by a computer, instruct the computer to perform a process of using a network device of a communications network to control usage of network resources of the communications network by a plurality of users, wherein the network device serves as an entry point to the communications network for the plurality of users and includes a port module, the port module connected by a transmission medium to a first user device used by a first of the plurality of users and located externally to the communications network and the port module connected by the transmission medium to a second user device used by a second of the plurality of users and located externally to the communications network, the process comprising an act of;
(A) configuring the port module with one or more packet rules, wherein at least a first of the one or more packet rules is associated with the identity of the first user and at least one of the packet rules is associated with the identity of the second user.
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Specification