System and method to identify devices employing point-to-point-over ethernet encapsulation

1. A method comprising:

broadcasting a point-to-point over Ethernet (PPPoE) active discovery initiation (PADI) packet from a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) device to a Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS);

receiving a PPPoE Active Discovery Offer (PADO) packet at the CPE device from the BRAS;

generating a tag identifying a product model of the CPE device;

transmitting from the CPE device to the BRAS a point-to-point over Ethernet (PPPoE) active discovery request (PADR) packet that includes the tag identifying the product model of the CPE device; and

establishing a point-to-point (PPP) connectivity session between the CPE device and the BRAS after transmission of the tag that identifies the product model of the CPE device, wherein the tag that identifies the product model of the CPE device is transmitted after broadcasting the PADI packet and before establishment of the PPP connectivity session, and wherein the PADI packet does not contain the tag that identifies the product model of the CPE device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tag includes host-uniq tag information.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the host-uniq tag information includes a device identifier code that identifies the product model of the CPE device.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising generating the device identifier code.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the device identifier code includes a binary number.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a point-to-point over Ethernet (PPPoE) active discovery session (PADS) packet at the CPE device from the BRAS; and

conducting an Ethernet communication session between the CPE device and the BRAS.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising receiving a media access control (MAC) address of a peer device at the CPE device from the BRAS.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising establishing a PPPoE session identification.

9. A network management system, comprising a server adapted to:

communicate with a distributed network to receive a plurality of point-to-point over Ethernet (PPPoE) active discovery packets from a plurality of customer premises equipment (CPE) devices;

identify each of the plurality of CPE devices based on the plurality of PPPoE active discovery packets, wherein each of the plurality of PPPoE active discovery packets includes a tag comprising a device identifier field that uniquely identifies a product model of a CPE device that transmitted the PPPoE active discovery packet, wherein the plurality of PPPoE active discovery packets including the tag with the device identifier field is received before establishing a point-to-point (PPP) connectivity session, and wherein the device identifier field is generated after transmission of a PPPoE active discovery initiation (PADI) packet and before establishing the PPP connectivity session;

transmit a plurality of PPPoE active discovery offer packets to the plurality of CPE, devices;

receive a plurality of PPPoE active discovery request packets from the plurality of CPE, devices; and

establish the PPP connectivity session.

10. The network management system of claim 9 , further comprising a database to store each device identifier field.

11. The network management system of claim 10 , wherein the server uses the database to determine a product model of each of the plurality of CPE devices based on the device identifier field of the tag in the PPPoE active discovery packet transmitted by the CPE device.

12. The network management system of claim 11 , wherein the server is adapted to send information indicating the product model of at least one of the plurality of CPE devices to a customer service representative for diagnosis and repair.

13. The network management system of claim 9 , wherein the server is adapted to conduct a plurality of Ethernet communication sessions, wherein each of the plurality of Ethernet communication sessions is conducted with at least one of the plurality of CPE devices.

14. The network management system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the Ethernet communication sessions is conducted via an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) connection.

15. The network management system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the Ethernet communication sessions is conducted via an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) connection.