Patent ID: 6891825
Filing Date: 2005-05-10
Classification: H04L,H04M

Abstract:
1. A method for providing multi-user access to a packet switched network, the method comprising: executing a communication software on a plurality of end user stations that communicate over a local area network (LAN) supporting an Ethernet-based LAN protocol, the communication software being based upon a communication protocol that establishes a point-to-point communication session; generating packets by the plurality of end user stations based upon the communication protocol; selectively encapsulating the communication protocol packets using the Ethernet-based LAN protocol; and forwarding the encapsulated packets to a customer premise equipment (CPE) that is coupled to the LAN, wherein the point-to-point communication sessions are simultaneously carried over a communication channel and terminated at a remote access server, the point-to-point communication sessions corresponding respectively to a plurality of service providers, the packets being recovered and forwarded to the packet switched network, and wherein individual accounting information is processed for each of the plurality of end user stations based upon a selected one of the service providers.