Method and system of providing multi-user access to a packet switched network
View Patent ↗An approach for providing multi-user access to a packet switched network via a shared Ethernet-based local area network (LAN) is disclosed. Multiple end user stations are connected to the LAN, in which each of end user stations executes a communication software that is based upon a communication protocol (e.g., Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)), which establishes a point-to-point communication session. In addition, each of the end user stations selectively encapsulates the communication protocol packets using the Ethernet-based based LAN protocol. Further, attached to the LAN is a customer premise equipment (CPE), which transmits the encapsulated packets to a line terminating equipment, which according to one embodiment is a digital subscriber line (DSL) access multiplexer that is located in a central office. The line terminating equipment transports the multiple PPP sessions to a multiplexer/demultiplexer, which is located within a regional carrier's network. The multiple PPP sessions are terminated at a remote access server, which recovers and forwards the packets to a backbone router. Thereafter, the backbone router forwards the packets to the packet switched network.
1. A method for providing data services from a plurality of service providers, the method comprising:
establishing, via a line equipment at a customer premise, a point-to-point communication session corresponding to one of the service providers, wherein the line equipment serves a plurality of end-user stations via a local area network (LAN); and
selectively establishing, via the line equipment, another point-to-point communication session corresponding to another one of the service providers, the point-to-point communication sessions being carried directly on Ethernet frames,
wherein the point-to-point communication sessions are simultaneously carried over a communication channel and terminated at a remote access server, and
wherein individual accounting information is processed for each of the end-user stations based upon a selected one of the service providers.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
generating billing information for the point-to-point communication sessions according to rates of the respective service providers.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the common connection is over a digital subscriber line (DSL).
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the common connection is a Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) connection.
5. A method for providing data services from a plurality of service providers, the method comprising:
displaying a plurality of options for data services corresponding to the service providers;
receiving a selection input, from one of a plurality of end-users, for one of the service providers;
initiating establishment, via a line equipment at a customer premise, of a point-to-point communication session corresponding to the selected one of the service providers, wherein the line equipment serves a plurality of end-user stations via a local area network (LAN);
receiving another selection input, from another one of the plurality of end-users, for another one of the service providers; and
initiating another point-to-point communication session corresponding to the another selected one of the service providers,
wherein the point-to-point communication sessions are simultaneously carried over a communication channel and terminated at a remote access server, and wherein individual accounting information is processed for each of the end-user stations based upon the selected one of the service providers.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the established point-to-point communication sessions are billed according to rates of the respective service providers.
7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the common connection is over a digital subscriber line (DSL).
8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the common connection is a Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) connection.
9. An apparatus for providing data connectivity for supporting multiple users over a single connection, the apparatus comprising:
means for selecting, by one of a plurality of end-users, one of a plurality of network services associated respectively with a plurality of service providers, wherein the network services are provided over a single customer premise equipment;
means for establishing a point-to-point communication session corresponding to the selected one of the service providers over the customer premise equipment;
means for selecting, by another one of the plurality of end-users, another one of a plurality of network services associated respectively with a plurality of service providers; and
means for establishing another point-to-point communication session corresponding to the selected another one of the service providers over the customer premise equipment,
wherein the point-to-point communication sessions are simultaneously carried over the single customer premise equipment and terminated at a remote access server, wherein the customer premise equipment is located at a customer site, the customer site including a plurality of end-user stations connected to the customer premise equipment via a local area network (LAN), and wherein individual accounting information is processed for each of the end-user stations based upon a selected one of the service providers.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein billing information is generated for the point-to-point communication sessions according to rates of the corresponding service provider.
11. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the customer premise equipment is a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem.
12. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the point-to-point communication sessions comply with a Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE).
13. The apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a network interface card (NIC) configured to interface directly with the customer premise equipment.
14. A method for providing data services from a plurality of service providers to multiple end user stations over a single connection, the method comprising:
executing a communications software on the multiple end user stations, the end user stations communicating over a local area network (LAN), the communications software based upon a communication protocol establishing at least two point-to-point communication sessions, each session corresponding to a different one of the multiple end user stations;
generating packets by the at least two of the multiple end user stations based upon the communication protocol;
selectively encapsulating the communication protocol packets;
transmitting the encapsulated packets by at least one customer premise equipment (CPE) coupled to the LAN;
simultaneously carrying the point-to-point communication sessions over a single communication channel; and
terminating the point-to-point communication sessions at a remote access server, recovering the packets, and forwarding the packets to a packet-switched network,
wherein individual accounting information is processed for each of the plurality of end user stations based upon a selected one of the service providers.