Abstract:
A method implemented in an access node (AN) including receiving a packet for a service on a connection between a subscriber and a service provider or service provider network (SP), replacing a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) tag for the subscriber in the packet with a Q-in-Q label that matches a Media Access Control (MAC) address for a residential gateway (RG) in the packet when the packet is received from the RG, wherein the Q-in-Q label comprises a Customer VLAN (C-VLAN) tag that identifies the subscriber and a Service-VLAN (S-VLAN) tag that identifies the SP, and replacing the Q-in-Q label in the packet with a VLAN tag for the subscriber that matches the MAC address for the RG in the packet when the packet is received from the SP.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/065,082 filed Oct. 28, 2013, by Kaippallimalil Matthew John and entitled “Multiple Prefix Connections with Translated Virtual Local Area Network,” which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/772,261, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,599,860, filed May 3, 2010, by John Kaippallimalil and entitled “Multiple Prefix Connections with Translated Virtual Local Area Network,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/178,107 filed May 14, 2009, by John Kaippallimalil and entitled “System and Method for Supporting Multiple Prefix Connections with User Defined Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) in a Communications System,” each of which is incorporated herein by reference as if reproduced in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     In some networks, a residential gateway (RG) or a host (e.g. a subscriber) can be connected to multiple service providers (SPs) via an access node (AN) and over a shared interface or access line, such as an active line access (ALA). Each service provider can provide one or multiple services to the host via the shared interface or access line. Typically, the services are routed between the host and the appropriate SPs by the AN over the access line based on a plurality of source Internet Protocol (IP) addresses or prefixes that can be obtained from the SPs. As such, the AN may need to process the service packets to obtain the IP addresses or prefixes from the packets&#39; headers. However, the AN cannot use the IP addresses or prefixes to send router solicitation (RS) messages, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) messages, or other messages from the host that are sent prior to obtaining the IP addresses or prefixes from the SPs. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, the disclosure includes a method implemented in an access node (AN) including receiving a packet for a service on a connection between a subscriber and a service provider or service provider network (SP), replacing a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) tag for the subscriber in the packet with a Q-in-Q label that matches a Media Access Control (MAC) address for a residential gateway (RG) in the packet when the packet is received from the RG, wherein the Q-in-Q label comprises a Customer VLAN (C-VLAN) tag that identifies the subscriber and a Service-VLAN (S-VLAN) tag that identifies the SP, and replacing the Q-in-Q label in the packet with a VLAN tag for the subscriber that matches the MAC address for the RG in the packet when the packet is received from the SP. 
     In an embodiment, the method further comprises forwarding the packet to the SP on a connection indicated by the Q-in-Q label when the packet is received from the RG and forwarding the packet to the subscriber on a connection indicated by the VLAN tag when the packet is received from the SP. In an embodiment, the VLAN tag is associated with the MAC address for the RG in a first list of access network connection identifiers, and wherein the Q-in-Q label is associated with the same MAC address for the RG in a second list of SP network connection identifiers. In an embodiment, the packet is a router solicitation (RS) message. In an embodiment, the packet is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) message. In an embodiment, the packet is forwarded at the network link layer. In an embodiment, the packet is forwarded without processing an Internet Protocol (IP) address in the packet. 
     In another embodiment, the disclosure includes a computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium such that when executed by a processor cause an access node (AN) to receive a packet for a service on a connection between a subscriber and a service provider or service provider network (SP), replace a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) tag for the subscriber in the packet with a Q-in-Q label that matches a Media Access Control (MAC) address for a residential gateway (RG) in the packet when the packet is received from the RG, wherein the Q-in-Q label comprises a Customer VLAN (C-VLAN) tag that identifies the subscriber and a Service-VLAN (S-VLAN) tag that identifies the SP, and replace the Q-in-Q label in the packet with a VLAN tag for the subscriber that matches the MAC address for the RG in the packet when the packet is received from the SP. 
     In an embodiment, the instructions further cause the AN to forward the packet to the SP on a connection indicated by the Q-in-Q label when the packet is received from the RG and forward the packet to the subscriber on a connection indicated by the VLAN tag when the packet is received from the SP. In an embodiment, the VLAN tag is associated with the MAC address for the RG in a first list of access network connection identifiers. In an embodiment, the Q-in-Q label is associated with the same MAC address for the RG in a second list of SP network connection identifiers. 
     In yet another embodiment, the disclosure includes an access node (AN) comprising a receiver configured to receive a packet for a service on a connection between a subscriber and a service provider or service provider network (SP), a processor operably coupled to the memory and configured to replace a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) tag for the subscriber in the packet with a Q-in-Q label that matches a Media Access Control (MAC) address for a residential gateway (RG) in the packet when the packet is received from the RG, wherein the Q-in-Q label comprises a Customer VLAN (C-VLAN) tag that identifies the subscriber and a Service-VLAN (S-VLAN) tag that identifies the SP and replace the Q-in-Q label in the packet with a VLAN tag for the subscriber that matches the MAC address for the RG in the packet when the packet is received from the SP, and a transmitter operably coupled to the processor and configured to forward the packet after replacement of the VLAN tag and replacement of the Q-in-Q label. 
     In an embodiment, the transmitter is configured to forward the packet to the SP on a connection indicated by the Q-in-Q label when the packet is received from the RG. In an embodiment, the transmitter is configured to forward the packet to the subscriber on a connection indicated by the VLAN tag when the packet is received from the SP. In an embodiment, the VLAN tag is associated with the MAC address for the RG in a first list of access network connection identifiers. In an embodiment, the Q-in-Q label is associated with the same MAC address for the RG in a second list of SP network connection identifiers. 
     For the purpose of clarity, any one of the foregoing embodiments may be combined with any one or more of the other foregoing embodiments to create a new embodiment within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     These and other features will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an access network system. 
         FIG. 2  is a protocol diagram of an embodiment of a VLAN registration method. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a VLAN identification list. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a VLAN association list. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a VLAN translation list. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a general-purpose computer system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It should be understood at the outset that although an illustrative implementation of one or more embodiments are provided below, the disclosed systems and/or methods may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or in existence. The disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary designs and implementations illustrated and described herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents. 
     Disclosed herein is a system and method for identifying a plurality of connections over a shared access line (e.g. ALA) between a RG or a host, such as a subscriber, and a plurality SPs. The connections may correspond to a plurality of services that may be provided to a plurality of hosts or subscribers coupled to the RG, by a plurality of SPs. Each SP may provide one or multiple services to the host, which may be routed or forwarded by an AN via the access line. The services may be forwarded by identifying each connection, e.g. between a host and a SP, and hence sending each service over the corresponding connection. Each service connection between the RG and the AN may be identified using a MAC address for the RG and a VLAN ID that identifies the subscriber. Each corresponding service connection between the AN and the SP may be identified by the MAC address of the RG, a C-VLAN ID that identifies the subscriber, and a S-VLAN ID that identifies the SP. Such combinations of identifiers may be maintained by the AN. As such, the AN may forward service traffic appropriately between the hosts and the SPs over the corresponding connections by translating the MAC address and VLAN ID to the corresponding MAC address, and corresponding C-VLAN ID and S-VLAN ID, and vice-versa. The VLAN identification and translation may be used to route the different services between the hosts and SPs over the access line without the knowledge of or using specified source prefixes or IP addresses and without processing the packets to obtain the prefixes or IP addresses, e.g. in the packets&#39; headers. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of an access network system  100 . The access network system  100  may comprise at least one host  110 , a RG  120 , an AN  130 , an access network  140 , a first SP (SP 1 )  142 , and a second SP (SP 2 )  144 . Each host  110  may be coupled to the RG  120 , for instance at a customer premise or a local network. The AN  130  and the access network  140  may correspond to an access network provider (ANP) and may be coupled to each other and to the RG  120  via an access line  190 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The AN  130  may also be coupled to each of the first SP  142  and the second SP  144 . The first SP  142  may comprise a first access router (AR; AR 1 )  152  that may be coupled to the AN  130  and a first SP network (SPN; SPN 1 )  162  that may be coupled to the first AR  152 . Similarly, the second SP  144  may comprise a second AR (AR 2 )  154  that may be coupled to the AN  130  and a second SPN (SPN 2 )  164  that may be coupled to the second AR  154 . Although three hosts (e.g. H 1 , H 2 , and H 3 ) and two SPs (e.g. SP 1  and SP 2 ) are shown in  FIG. 1 , the access network system  100  may comprise any number of hosts and SPs. Other embodiments of the access network system  100  may comprise a host  110  or a plurality of hosts  110  that may be coupled to the AN  130  without using the RG  120 . In other embodiments, a plurality of RGs  120  may be coupled to the AN  130  via a plurality of corresponding access lines  190 . However, in all such embodiments, the access line  190  may carry traffic or services between a plurality of SPs and any host  110 , e.g. via the RG  120 . Further, the different services may be provided to the hosts  110  over the access line  190  via different connections (e.g. VLANs), which is represented by the different line patterns in  FIG. 1 . 
     The host  110  may be any user equipment (UE) or device configured for transmitting and/or receiving signals to and from the RG  120 , such as electrical or optical signals. In one embodiment, the host  110  may create, send, or receive the signals using a fixed link, such as a wired cable or a fiber optic cable, between the host  110  and the RG  120 . The fixed link may implement Ethernet, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), IP, or any other suitable protocol. The host  110  may be a fixed device, including a personal computer (PC) such as a desktop computer, a telephone such as a voice over IP (VoIP) telephone, or a set top box. Alternatively, the host  110  may be a portable device, such as a laptop computer, or a cordless phone, which may use the fixed link to communicate with the RG  120 . In another embodiment, the host  110  may be any user mobile device, component, or apparatus that communicates with the RG  120  using a wireless link. For example, the host  110  may be a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, or any other wireless device. As such, the host  110  may comprise an infrared port, a BLUETOOTH interface, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 compliant wireless interface, or any other wireless communication system that enables the host  110  to communicate wirelessly with the RG  120 . Accordingly, the wireless link may be an IEEE 802.11 link, a Wi-Fi link, a BLUETOOTH link, a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) link, a near field communication (NFC) link, an Infrared Data Association (IrDa) link, or any other communication link established using wireless technology. 
     The RG  120  may be any device or component configured to allow the host  110  to gain access to the access network  140  associated with the AN  130 . For instance, the RG  120  may be configured to establish a wireless or fixed link with the host  110  and forward communications between the host  110  and the AN  130 . For example, the RG  120  may be an IP router, such as a customer premises equipment (CPE) router or any router equipment located at a subscriber&#39;s premises and that communicates with the access network. Alternatively, the RG  120  may comprise a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem, a cable modem, or a set-top box. In yet another embodiment, the RG  120  may be a node that forwards IPv4 and/or IPv6 packets to and from the host  110 . Further, the RG  120  may be a routed RG, which may establish authentication with the access network and allow a trusted host  110  to communicate with the access network. 
     The AN  130  may be any device that transports communications between the RG  120  and the first SP  142  and between the RG  120  and the second SP  144 . For example, the AN  130  may be a switch, a router, or a bridge, such as a Provider Edge Bridge (PEB) or a Provider Core Bridge (PCB). The AN  130  may be coupled to each of the first SP  142  and the second SP  144  via fixed links, such as Ethernet or IP links. The AN  130  may receive different service traffic from the first SPN  162  via the first AR  152 , the second SPN  164  via the second AR  154 , or both and forward the different service traffic to the RG  120  via the access network  140 . The AN  130  may receive/send the different service traffic from/to the first SP  142  and the second SP  144  via different connections, which may include a C-VLAN, a priority tagged VLAN, an S-VLAN, or combinations thereof. The different service traffic may also be forwarded between the AN  130  and the RG  120  using different virtual connections, such as different VLANs, over the shared access line  190 . The access line  190  may be a fixed link between the AN  130  and the RG  120 , such as a wired cable or a fiber optic cable. The different service connections on both sides of the AN  130  are represented by the different line patterns in  FIG. 1 . 
     The first SPN  142  and the second SPN  144  may comprise different or similar SPs, such as an Internet service provider (ISP), a network service provider (NSP), an application service provider (ASP), or combinations thereof. The first SPN  162  and the second SPN  164  may each provide at least one service to the host  110  via the first AR  152  and the second AR  154 , respectively. For example, the first SPN  162  and/or the second SPN  164  may provide IP Television (TV) services, which may be streamed down to the hosts  110  over the access line  190 . 
     The first AR  152  and the second AR  154  may be any device that forwards packets between the AN  130  and each of the first SPN  162  and the second SPN  164 , respectively. The packets may be forwarded between the AN  130  and each of the first SPN  162  and the second SPN  164  using fixed links. For example, the first AR  152 , and similarly the second AR  154 , may comprise any of a Broadband Routed Access Servers (BRAS), a Cable Modem Termination Server (CMTS), a router, or combinations thereof. For instance, the first AR  152  and/or the second AR  154  may comprise a Backbone Edge Bridge (BEB), a PEB, a PCB, or a user network interfaces (UNI). In some embodiments, the first AR  152  or the second AR  154  may be a point-oriented wire-line node, such as a DSL connection or a provider network edge device. 
     In some embodiments, the first AR  152  and the second AR  154  may also provide a plurality of network access services to the host  110  at the customer premise. For instance, the first AR  152  and/or the second AR  154  may exchange authentication information with the access network using the IEEE 802.1X protocol and with an authentication server, such as an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server to authenticate the host  110  or the RG  120 . The authentication information may be exchanged using a remote authentication protocol, such as a Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) protocol or a Diameter protocol. Further, the first AR  152  and/or the second AR  154  may provide quality of service (QoS) requirements for downstream communications with the hosts  110 . 
     In an embodiment, the different services communicated over the different connections between the RG  120  and the AN  130  may be identified by associating the MAC address of the RG  120  with the VLAN IDs for the different hosts  110  or subscribers per host  110 . Since the MAC address identifies the RG  120  and the VLAN IDs identify the individual subscribers, the combinations of MAC address and VLAN IDs may be used to identify the individual services and connections for the different hosts  110 . In some embodiments, the hosts&#39; prefixes or addresses (e.g. IP prefixes or addresses) may also be combined with the RG MAC address and corresponding VLAN IDs to identify and distinguish the different services over the different connections to the hosts  110 . The AN  130  may maintain the RG MAC address, the VLAN IDs, and optionally the prefixes in a VLAN identification list or table. The AN  130  may also associate the RG MAC address and the VLAN IDs with a port or interface for the access line  190 , e.g. for each RG  120  coupled to the AN  130 . For instance, the AN  130  may maintain the MAC address for each RG  120 , the VLAN IDs, and the port ID in a VLAN association list or table. 
     Additionally, the different services may be associated with the corresponding subscribers and SPs, e.g. the first SP  142  and the second SP  144 , using a plurality of C-VLAN IDs that correspond to the subscribers and S-VLAN IDs that correspond to the SPs. The C-VLAN ID and S-VLAN ID pairs may also be associated with the RG MAC address. The AN  130  may maintain the RG MAC address, the C-VLAN IDs, and the S-VLAN IDs in a VLAN translation list or table. The AN  130  may use the association between the RG MAC address, the C-VLAN IDs, and the S-VLAN IDs to properly route the services that correspond to the hosts  110  to and from the SPs. Specifically, the AN  130  may translate the RG MAC address and VLAN IDs in the packets received from the RG  120  over the access line  190  into the RG MAC address and corresponding C-VLAN ID and S-VLAN ID pairs, and thus forward the packets to the corresponding SPs over the appropriate links. Similarly, the AN  130  may translate the RG MAC address and C-VLAN ID/S-VLAN ID in the packets received from the SPs (e.g. in Q-in-Q labels in the packets) into the RG MAC address and corresponding VLAN ID, and thus forward the packets to the RG  120  over the access line  190 . The RG  120  may send the packets received from the AN  130  over the access line  190  based on the RG MAC address and VLAN ID. 
     The AN  120  may use such VLAN identification and translation scheme to route service related traffic, such as solicitation messages and/or DHCP requests, over the access line  190  without the knowledge of host IP addresses or prefixes, e.g. before the SPs assign the IP addresses or prefixes to the hosts  110 . The VLAN identification and translation scheme may also be used to route service messages, e.g. DHCP or IPv6 Neighbor Discovery messages, using unspecified IP addresses or prefixes. For instance, the services may be forwarded over the corresponding connections without the need to process the IP addresses or prefixes, e.g. in the service packets&#39; headers. As such, the VLAN identification and translation scheme may be implemented at the network link layer, e.g. using Ethernet protocols, which may improve transfer efficiency, reduce processing complexity, or both. 
     In an embodiment, the RG  120  and/or the host  110  may initially send an authentication request for a new VLAN connection for each of the first SP  142  and the second SP  144 . When the AN  130  receives on its port an authentication request for a new VLAN connection from the RG  120  or the host  110 , the AN  130  may initiate an AAA authentication sequence or any other authentication sequence to authenticate the host  110 . The authentication request may be received on the port coupled to the access line  190  between the RG  120  and the AN  130 . After authentication is completed, the RG  120  and/or the host  110  may establish a VLAN connection for each of the first SP  142  and the second  144  to receive the services. The host  110  may be configured to send/receive the service packets using the authenticated VLAN connection or a second VLAN, e.g. between the host  110  and the RG  120 . In another embodiment, the VLAN connections may be configured before initiating the service sessions, where the RG  120  may be configured to use a plurality of VLANs or C-VLANs for each SP to obtain services from that SP. Additionally, the RG  120  or the host  110  may obtain a prefix using a RS/routing acknowledgement (RA) sequence, an address using DHCP, or a delegated prefix for each host  110 . Alternatively, the RG  120  may obtain a delegated prefix but not the host  110 , e.g. as specified in Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments (RFC)  3633 . The prefix, address, or delegated prefix may be associated with the corresponding VLAN connection, e.g. in the VLAN identification list. 
     Upon provisioning or configuring the VLAN connection, the AN  130  may store the RG MAC address, the VLAN ID for the subscriber, and an access interface or port ID, e.g. in the VLAN association list. The AN  130  may also store the authentication lifetime for the subscriber and any other information about the RG  120  and/or the host  110 . Additionally, the AN  130  may obtain from the AAA entity (or an authentication server) a C-VLAN/S-VLAN pair for each indicated VLAN in the authentication signal and store it with the corresponding VLAN, e.g. in the VLAN translation list. Alternatively, the C-VLAN/S-VLAN pair may be configured statically for each VLAN. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of a VLAN registration method  200 , which may enable an AN to route different services for a plurality of SPs between the SPs and a RG or a host over an access line. For example, the VLAN registration method  200  may be implemented, e.g. by the AN  130  and/or the RG  120 , to properly forward the different service traffic between the hosts  110  and any of the first SP  142  and the second SP  144  over the appropriate connections and the channel  190 . At step  201 , the RG and/or host may boot up and establish a VLAN connection for any SP (e.g. VLAN  1  for SP 1  or VLAN  2  for SP 2 ), for instance based on configuration information by the network or the operator. 
     At step  202 , the RG may authenticate the VLAN connection with a corresponding SP via the AN and the AR of the SP, e.g. AR 1  for SP 1  or AR 2  for SP 2 . Accordingly, the RG may send to the AN a IEEE 802.1X, protocol for carrying authentication for network access (PANA), or other authentication signal with a network access identifier (NAI) that includes a suffix with the domain name of the service provider (SP). The AN may receive the authentication signals for the VLANs for a plurality of SPs and store the associations between the VLANs and the SPs. For example, the AN may associate VLAN  1  with SP 1  and VLAN 2  with SP 2  and register the corresponding entries in the VLAN association list. The AN may then request from an AAA server or other authentication entity (not shown) to authenticate the RG or host. In reply, the AAA may authenticate the RG or host and send back an authentication status “success” to the AN. The AAA server may also provide the AN a C-VLAN/S-VLAN pair, e.g. as a VLAN Q-in-Q label, for the authenticated VLAN, which may be stored at the AN. The AN may then forward the authentication status “success” to the RG over the corresponding VLAN. 
     At step  203 , the RG may initiate a RS/RA exchange via the AN with the AR that corresponds to the SP, e.g. after configuring the link-local address. The RS/RA request may be initiated to obtain router information, such as an advertised prefix, an authentication lifetime, and/or other information. The RS/RA exchange messages may indicate the corresponding VLAN, e.g. VLAN  1  for SP 1 , but may not specify a source IP address or may comprise an unspecified IP address. Alternatively, the RG may be a requesting router, e.g. according to RFC  3633 , that sends to the AR a DHCP request to obtain an Identity Association for Prefix Delegation (IA PD). If the RG does not have an IP address, the DHCP request may be sent with an unspecified IP address and the corresponding VLAN ID, e.g. VLAN  1  for AR 1  and SP 1 . 
     At step  204 , the host associated with the VLAN connection, e.g. H 1 , may initiate a RS/RA message sequence with the RG to request an IP prefix or address. The RG may determine which pool of delegated prefixes to use to provide an IP prefix (e.g. IPv6 prefix) to the host based on static configuration and/or policies. The RG may send then IP prefix to the host and associate the corresponding VLAN, e.g. VLAN  1  for H 1 , to the SP. 
     At step  205 , the RG and the AN may forward the service packets using the VLAN connection, e.g. VLAN  1 , between the corresponding host and AR, e.g. H 1  and AR 1 . The AR may translate the VLAN in the packets by substituting the VLAN in the packet header with a corresponding Q-in-Q label (e.g. C-VLAN/S-VLAN pair) when the packet is sent from the host to the SP. The AN may also substitute the Q-in-Q label in the packet header with a corresponding VLAN ID when the packet is sent from the SP to the host. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment of a VLAN identification list  300 , which may be used to identify the RG MAC address with the VLAN connections to each subscriber and the host prefixes, for instance at the AN. The RG MAC address in the VLAN identification list  300  may be associated with each host prefix and a VLAN for each subscriber. For instance, the VLAN identification list  300  may be stored at the AN in the form of a table, which may comprise a host prefix column  302 , a RG MAC address column  306 , and a VLAN column  308 . The host prefix column  302  may comprise the individual prefixes assigned to the different hosts. The RG MAC address column  306  may comprise the MAC address of a RG coupled to the AN. The VLAN column  308  may comprise the VLAN ID for each connection to a host or subscriber. Additionally, the VLAN identification list  300  may comprise a prefix length column  304  that indicates the length of each assigned prefix, e.g. in bits. For example, the prefix length may be equal to about 64 bits in the case of IPv6 assigned prefixes or about 32 bits for IPv4 assigned prefixes. 
     The VLAN association list and the VLAN translation list together may make up the mapping from RG-AN segment to AN-SP segment.  FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of a VLAN association list  400 , which may be used to associate the RG MAC address with the VLAN connections to each subscriber and the access line connection port on the AN. The RG MAC address in the VLAN association list  400  may be associated with the port ID of the access line and a VLAN for each subscriber. For instance, the VLAN association list  400  may be stored at the AN in the form of a table, which may comprise a RG MAC address column  402 , a VLAN ID column  404 , and a port column  406 . The RG MAC address column  402  may comprise the MAC addresses for a RG coupled to the AN. The VLAN column  404  may comprise the VLAN ID for each subscriber or host. The port column  406  may comprise the port ID associated with all the VLANs for the same access line and RG. However, if multiple RGs and corresponding access lines are coupled to the AN, the RG MAC address column  402  may comprise a plurality of RG MAC addresses and the port column  406  may comprise a plurality of port IDs. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an embodiment of a VLAN translation list  500 , which may be used to translate the VLANs associated with the RG MAC address, e.g. to switch between the VLAN tags that identify the connections between the AN and the RG over the access line and the C-VLAN/S-VLAN labels that identify the connections between the AN and the different SPs. The RG MAC address in the VLAN translation list  500  may be associated with a C-VLAN for each subscriber or host, a S-VLAN for each SP, and optionally a SP ID or domain name, which may be stored at the AN in the form of a table. As such, the VLAN translation list  500  may comprise a RG MAC address column  502 , a C-VLAN column  504 , a S-VLAN column  506 , and optionally a SP column  508 . The RG MAC address column  502  may comprise the MAC address of the RG. The C-VLAN column  504  may comprise the C-VLAN ID for each subscriber or host. The S-VLAN column  506  may comprise the S-VLAN ID for each SP. Similarly, the SP column  508  may comprise a SP ID or domain name for each SP. The AN may use the C-VLAN/S-VLAN associations with the RG MAC address in the VLAN translation list  500  and the VLAN associations with the same RG MAC address in the VLAN association list  400  to translate the VLANs between the hosts and the SPs. 
     The network components described above may be implemented on any general-purpose network component, such as a computer or network component with sufficient processing power, memory resources, and network throughput capability to handle the necessary workload placed upon it.  FIG. 6  illustrates a typical, general-purpose network component  600  suitable for implementing one or more embodiments of the components disclosed herein. The network component  600  includes a processor  602  (which may be referred to as a central processor unit or CPU) that is in communication with memory devices including secondary storage  604 , read only memory (ROM)  606 , random access memory (RAM)  608 , input/output (I/O) devices  610 , and network connectivity devices  612 . The processor  602  may be implemented as one or more CPU chips, or may be part of one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). 
     The secondary storage  604  is typically comprised of one or more disk drives or tape drives and is used for non-volatile storage of data and as an over-flow data storage device if RAM  608  is not large enough to hold all working data. Secondary storage  604  may be used to store programs that are loaded into RAM  608  when such programs are selected for execution. The ROM  606  is used to store instructions and perhaps data that are read during program execution. ROM  606  is a non-volatile memory device that typically has a small memory capacity relative to the larger memory capacity of secondary storage  604 . The RAM  608  is used to store volatile data and perhaps to store instructions. Access to both ROM  606  and RAM  608  is typically faster than to secondary storage  604 . 
     While several embodiments have been provided in the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed systems and methods might be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the intention is not to be limited to the details given herein. For example, the various elements or components may be combined or integrated in another system or certain features may be omitted, or not implemented. 
     In addition, techniques, systems, subsystems, and methods described and illustrated in the various embodiments as discrete or separate may be combined or integrated with other systems, modules, techniques, or methods without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Other items shown or discussed as coupled or directly coupled or communicating with each other may be indirectly coupled or communicating through some interface, device, or intermediate component whether electrically, mechanically, or otherwise. Other examples of changes, substitutions, and alterations are ascertainable by one skilled in the art and could be made without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed herein.