Patent Publication Number: US-11381669-B2

Title: System and method for implementing extension of customer LAN at provider network service point

Description:
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates, in general, to methods, systems, apparatus, and computer software for implementing extension of customer local area networks (“LANs”) and/or implementing isolated service overlays over a network, and, in particular embodiments, to methods, systems, apparatus, and computer software for implementing extension of customer LANs at a provider network service point(s) and/or implementing isolated service overlays between the provider network service point(s) and each of one or more customer premises. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Typically, conventional network access devices—such as conventional residential gateways (“RGs”), conventional business gateways (“BGs”), conventional network interface devices (“NIDs”) or conventional enhanced NIDs (“eNIDs”), conventional optical network terminals (“ONTs”), conventional modems, and/or the like—provide both wide area network (“WAN”) interface and local area network (“LAN”) interface functions at the customer premises. Current standards developing organization (“SDO”) activities are focused on splitting the functionality between physical and virtual components of these access devices. What is not addressed, however, is turning these access devices into devices that can host virtual network functions (“VNFs”). To date, VNFs have only been explored as functions hosted in the service provider network. 
     Traditionally, the conventional NID translates LAN addresses and provides a gateway function to the WAN at the customer premises. This WAN-to-LAN conversion, which is conducted at the customer premises, results in the “Access” being identified as part of the WAN service (for example, “Internet Access”). Traditionally also, “cloud” services have been located at the Internet Core or on the WAN on the upstream side of the Access, and only associated with the customer as a standalone service. With the WAN/LAN interface functionality located at the customer premises, however, there is limited or no isolation between different services or between different types of services being transmitted to the customer premises over the WAN, which may expose the customer and/or any data being transmitted as part of the services to privacy and/or security issues. 
     Hence, there is a need for more robust and scalable solutions for implementing extension of customer local area networks (“LANs”) and/or implementing isolated service overlays over a network, and, in particular embodiments, to methods, systems, apparatus, and computer software for implementing extension of customer LANs at a provider network service point(s) and/or implementing isolated service overlays between the provider network service point(s) and each of one or more customer premises. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A further understanding of the nature and advantages of particular embodiments may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to similar components. In some instances, a sub-label is associated with a reference numeral to denote one of multiple similar components. When reference is made to a reference numeral without specification to an existing sub-label, it is intended to refer to all such multiple similar components. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system for implementing extension of a customer LAN at a provider network service point(s) and/or implementing isolated service overlays between a provider network service point(s) and a customer premises, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIGS. 2A-2C  are schematic diagrams illustrating various systems for implementing extension of a customer LAN at a provider network service point(s), in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system for implementing content delivery to a customer without affecting Internet service for other customers, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system for implementing isolated service overlays between a provider network service point(s) and each of a plurality of customer premises, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system for implementing isolated service overlays between a provider network service point(s) and a customer premises, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for implementing extension of a customer LAN at a provider network service point(s), in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for implementing isolated service overlays between a provider network service point(s) and a customer premises, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 8A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 8B  is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative system for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic diagram illustrating another system for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another system for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic diagram illustrating still another system for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 12  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 13  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer or system hardware architecture, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 14  is a block diagram illustrating a networked system of computers, computing systems, or system hardware architecture, which can be used in accordance with various embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS 
     Overview 
     Various embodiments provide tools and techniques for implementing extension of customer local area networks (“LANs”) and/or implementing isolated service overlays over a network, and, in particular embodiments, to methods, systems, apparatus, and computer software for implementing extension of customer LANs at a provider network service point(s) and/or implementing isolated service overlays between the provider network service point(s) and each of one or more customer premises. 
     In various embodiments, a network service point that is located external to a demarcation point at each of a plurality of customer premises—e.g., located in a service provider network, such as at one of a central office (“CO”), a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (“DSLAM”), an optical line terminal (“OLT”), a network access point (“NAP”), a network interface device (“NID”), or an enhanced NID (“eNID”), and/or the like—might establish a connection between a service provider network (e.g., a wide area network (“WAN”) or the like) and a customer LAN, which has already been established within a customer premises. The system subsequently extends, via this connection, the customer LAN to span between the network service point and the customer premises. In some cases, extending the customer LAN to span between the network service point and the customer premises might comprise extending the customer LAN to span between the network service point and the customer premises by utilizing one or more of network functions virtualization (“NFV”) or software-defined networks (“SDNs”). 
     According to some embodiments, the system might map between the service provider network and the customer LAN (i.e., mapping one network to the other, and/or vice versa), in some cases, via at least one of a router function, a mapper function, a programmable services backbone (“PSB”) function, a NFV function, or a SDN function, and/or the like. Herein, “programmable services backbone” (also referred to as “platform services backbone”) might refer to a network backbone or a network services backbone that is programmable, and, in some embodiments, may be programmable by utilizing one or both of NFV (which covers orchestration as well as virtualization layer infrastructure and management, and/or the like) and/or SDN (which covers software defined networking). 
     Alternatively, or additionally, the system might establish two or more isolated service overlays—which might include, without limitation, two or more of a secure data service overlay, an Internet service overlay, an Internet of Things (“IoT”) service overlay, a PSB service overlay, a content delivery network (“CDN”) service overlay, one or more application service overlays each associated with an application service provider, or one or more other service overlays each associated with a service provider, and/or the like—across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises, each of the two or more isolated service overlays having network traffic that is isolated from network traffic transmitted along another of the two or more isolated service overlays. In this manner, full isolation, security, privacy enforcement, placement of apps, data, and/or content in each or any overlay  425 , and/or any combination of these functions may be achieved, for each customer at each customer premises. In some embodiments, establishing the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises might comprise establishing one of a virtual LAN (“VLAN”) or a virtual extensible LAN (“VXLAN”) for each of the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises. According to some embodiments, the WAN comprises separated overlays that are treated via a border network gateway or broadband network gateway (“BNG”) and/or gateway function as they are mapped into the LAN. On the LAN side, multiple methods and technologies—including, but not limited to, virtual private networks (“VPNs”), secure shell tunnels, and/or the like—may be utilized to transport the service, to extend the WAN overlay into the LAN. 
     In some cases, mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN might comprise mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN for each of the two or more isolated service overlays, in some cases, via at least one of a router function, a mapper function, a PSB function, a NFV function, or a SDN function. According to some embodiments, the system might further selectively place at least one of a firewall, an application, or content in any one or more of the two or more isolated service overlays, without affecting network traffic or network service along any other of the two or more isolated service overlays. 
     The implementation of the WAN/LAN interface at a network service point that is outside of the customer premises (i.e., in the service provider network, or otherwise on the network-side of the demarcation point) and/or implementation of the two or more service overlays allow for, among other things, one or more of agility in the implementation or instantiation of new services, better overlay isolation, improved privacy, improved privacy enforcement with the ability to place firewalls and/or applications in each or any stream at will, improved security, stronger customer control of the LAN-to-WAN (or WAN-to-LAN) mapping via PSB and/or NFV functions, hosting economics via shared central office resources, and/or the like. This implementation represents a service paradigm change from a “WAN Access”-type of service (like “Internet Access”) to a platform-based service that is composed of (in some embodiments) NFV compute nodes, as well as gateways at the Central Office, the Access, and the local LAN switch at each customer site. In such implementation, the customer owns or controls resources at the Central Office (or other network service point(s) outside the customer premises), and all the “WAN” services have very high speed connectivity to the customer compute resources in the Central Office (or other network service point(s) outside the customer premises), thereby relieving any “access bottlenecks” that may be associated with the conventional WAN/LAN interface at the customer premises, and providing the customer with a network resource on his or her local LAN that propagates from the customer premises to the Central Office over his or her “Access pipe.” This changes Access from a WAN component to a customer-owned or customer-controlled resource where the customer controls the network gateway to his or her LAN resources at the network site, at the Access, and at his or her local customer site equipment, as a “platform service.” 
     Various other embodiments provide tools and techniques for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, and, in particular embodiments, to methods, systems, apparatus, and computer software for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality using network functions virtualization (“NFV”) and/or software defined networks (“SDNs”). The network enhanced gateway functionalities can be implemented in conjunction with one or both of extension of customer local area networks (“LANs”) and/or implementation of isolated service overlays over a network. 
     In various embodiments, a network switch, which is disposed within a gateway device, might route network traffic to a host computing system, at least a portion of the network traffic being originally directed to a client device via the network switch and via a corresponding client port among a plurality of client ports. Based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the at least a portion of the network traffic that is directed to the client device, the host computing system selects one or more virtual network functions (“VNFs”). The selected one or more VNFs are then sent to the host computing system via the network switch. In some embodiments, the client devices might be VNF-capable (including, but not limited to, a set-top box or a local Internet of Things (“IoT”) controller, and/or the like), and the host computing system might send one or more second VNFs (which might be the same as the selected one or more VNFs or might be based on the selected one or more VNFs) to the client devices via the network switch and corresponding client port. According to some embodiments, the network switch and the host computing system are under control of a NFV entity and/or a SDN controller, which provide network enhanced gateway functionalities to the gateway device, as described herein. In some cases, the NFV entity might include, but is not limited to, at least one of a NFV orchestrator, a network functions virtualization infrastructure (“NFVI”) system, a NFV management and orchestration (“MANO”) system, a VNF manager, a NFV resource manager, a virtualized infrastructure manager (“VIM”), a virtual machine (“VM”), a macro orchestrator, or a domain orchestrator, and/or the like. 
     The network traffic between the network switch and the host computing system, in some embodiments, is at least one of uni-directional network traffic, bi-directional network traffic, or split directional network traffic that originates from at least one of one or more of the plurality of client ports or one or more network ports. In some cases, the one or more characteristics of the received network traffic comprises at least one of one or more attributes of an Ethernet frame, one or more media access control (“MAC”) source addresses, one or more MAC destination addresses, one or more Internet Protocol (“IP”) source addresses, one or more IP destination addresses, one or more transmission control protocol (“TCP”) source ports, one or more TCP destination ports, one or more priority bits, one or more particular bit patterns, bandwidth of a flow, one or more switch ports, one or more ingress ports, one or more Ethernet type identifiers, one or more virtual local area network (“VLAN”) identifiers, one or more network protocol identifiers, or one or more action instructions, and/or the like. 
     According to some embodiments, the host computing system and the network switch are disposed within a single gateway device. Alternatively, or additionally, the host computing system (or a second host computing system) might be located external to a gateway device in which the network switch is disposed, the gateway device might comprise a host port(s), and the host computing system might communicatively couple to the network switch via the host port(s). The gateway device, in some embodiments, might include, without limitation, at least one of a customer premises equipment (“CPE”), a router, a switch, a network element, a demarcation device, a WiFi gateway device, a hypervisor platform, and one or more virtual machine-based host machines, and/or the like. The CPE, which might be located at or near a customer premises associated with a user of the client device, might comprise at least one of an optical network terminal (“ONT”), a network interface device (“NID”), an enhanced NID (“eNID”), a residential gateway (“RG”) device, a business gateway (“BG”) device, or a virtual gateway (“vG”) device, and/or the like. 
     Merely by way of example, the client device might comprise a user device, including, but not limited to, one of a tablet computer, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a portable gaming device, a laptop computer, or a desktop computer, and/or the like. Alternatively, the client device might include a device selected from a group consisting of a small form factor pluggable (“SFP”) device, an enhanced SFP (“SFP+”) device, a compact SFP (“CSFP”) device, a gigabit interface converter (“GBIC”), and a universal serial bus (“USB”) pluggable device, and/or the like. In some cases, at least one of the SFP device, the SFP+ device, or the CSFP device might comprise at least one of a SFP network interface device (“NID”), a SFP router, a SFP modem, or a SFP wireless access point, and/or the like. In some instances, the USB pluggable device might comprise one of a printer, a scanner, a combination printer/scanner device, an external hard drive, a camera, a keyboard, a mouse, a drawing interface device, or a mobile device, and/or the like. 
     In some embodiments, the one or more VNFs provide the client device with one or more functions, the one or more functions comprising at least one of an activation function, an operation function, a deletion function, a specialized function, a firewall function, an Internet of Things (“IoT”) proxy function, an application-related function, or an operations, administration, and management (“OAM”) function, and/or the like. In some cases, the specialized function might itself be a VNF. According to some embodiments, each of the plurality of client ports might include, without limitation, one of a local area network (“LAN”) port, a Wi-Fi port, an advanced technology attachment (“ATA”) port, a serial ATA (“SATA”) port, an external SATA (“eSATA”) port, a powered eSATA (“eSATAp”) port, a mini SATA (“mSATA”) port, a SATA Express port, a M.2 port, or a universal serial bus (“USB”) port, and/or the like. 
     In various aspects, the host computing system might comprise one or more computing cores, preferably two or more computing cores. In some cases, at least one first computing core might perform functions of a gateway device, while at least one second computing core might perform hypervisor functions to support VNFs. According to some embodiments, the host computing system might comprise at least one of an x86 host computing device or an advanced reduced instruction set computer (“RISC”) machine (“ARM”) computing device. In some embodiments, the network switch might be a virtual network switch that utilizes a network switch VNF to provide network switching functionality. In some instances, the transceiver might be a virtual transceiver that utilizes a transceiver VNF to provide transceiver functionality. 
     The following detailed description illustrates a few exemplary embodiments in further detail to enable one of skill in the art to practice such embodiments. The described examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
     In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that other embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, certain structures and devices are shown in block diagram form. Several embodiments are described herein, and while various features are ascribed to different embodiments, it should be appreciated that the features described with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated with other embodiments as well. By the same token, however, no single feature or features of any described embodiment should be considered essential to every embodiment of the invention, as other embodiments of the invention may omit such features. 
     Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers used herein to express quantities, dimensions, and so forth used should be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” In this application, the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise, and use of the terms “and” and “or” means “and/or” unless otherwise indicated. Moreover, the use of the term “including,” as well as other forms, such as “includes” and “included,” should be considered non-exclusive. Also, terms such as “element” or “component” encompass both elements and components comprising one unit and elements and components that comprise more than one unit, unless specifically stated otherwise. 
     The tools provided by various embodiments include, without limitation, methods, systems, and/or software products. Merely by way of example, a method might comprise one or more procedures, any or all of which are executed by a computer system. Correspondingly, an embodiment might provide a computer system configured with instructions to perform one or more procedures in accordance with methods provided by various other embodiments. Similarly, a computer program might comprise a set of instructions that are executable by a computer system (and/or a processor therein) to perform such operations. In many cases, such software programs are encoded on physical, tangible, and/or non-transitory computer readable media (such as, to name but a few examples, optical media, magnetic media, and/or the like). 
     Various embodiments described herein, while embodying (in some cases) software products, computer-performed methods, and/or computer systems, represent tangible, concrete improvements to existing technological areas, including, without limitation, network virtualization technology, network configuration technology, network resource allocation technology, network service implementation technology, and/or the like. In other aspects, certain embodiments, can improve the functioning of user equipment or systems themselves (e.g., telecommunications equipment, service provider networks, customer local area networks, network components, etc.), for example, by enabling extension of the customer LAN to span between the customer premises (in which the LAN is established) and a network service point in the service provider network (i.e., beyond the demarcation point), by establishing two or more isolated service overlays (including, but not limited to, isolated service overlays for secure data, Internet, IoT, PSB, CDN, apps, other services, and/or the like) across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises, or a combination of these functionalities, and/or the like. In particular, to the extent any abstract concepts are present in the various embodiments, those concepts can be implemented as described herein by devices, software, systems, and methods that involve specific novel functionality (e.g., steps or operations), such as extending the customer LAN to span between the customer premises (in which the LAN is established) and a network service point in the service provider network (i.e., beyond the demarcation point), establishing the two or more isolated service overlays (including, but not limited to, isolated service overlays for secure data, Internet, IoT, PSB, CDN, apps, other services, and/or the like) across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises, and/or the like, to name a few examples, that extend beyond mere conventional computer processing operations. These functionalities can produce tangible results outside of the implementing computer system, including, merely by way of example, agility in the implementation or instantiation of new services, better overlay isolation, improved privacy, improved privacy enforcement with the ability to place firewalls and/or applications in each or any stream at will, improved security, stronger customer control of the LAN-to-WAN (or WAN-to-LAN) mapping via PSB and/or NFV functions, hosting economics via shared central office resources, and/or the like, at least some of which may be observed or measured by customers and/or service providers. 
     In an aspect, a method might comprise establishing, at a network service point that is located external to a demarcation point at each of a plurality of customer premises, a connection between a service provider network and a customer local area network (“LAN”), the customer LAN being established within a customer premises of the plurality of customer premises. The method might further comprise extending the customer LAN, via the connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, to span between the network service point and the customer premises. 
     In some embodiments, extending the customer LAN to span between the network service point and the customer premises might comprise extending the customer LAN to span between the network service point and the customer premises by utilizing one or more of network functions virtualization (“NFV”) or software-defined networks (“SDNs”). In some cases, the network service point might be located at one of a central office or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (“DSLAM”), and/or the like. Alternatively, or additionally, the network service point might be located at one of an optical line terminal (“OLT”), a network access point (“NAP”), a network interface device (“NID”), or an enhanced NID (“eNID”), and/or the like, each of which is located on a network-side relative to the demarcation point. In some instances, the service provider network might be a wide area network (“WAN”). 
     According to some embodiments, the method might further comprise mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN (i.e., mapping one network to the other, and/or vice versa). In some cases, mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN might comprise mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN, via at least one of a router function, a mapper function, a programmable services backbone (“PSB”) function, a network functions virtualization (“NFV”) function, or a software-defined network (“SDN”) function, and/or the like. 
     Merely by way of example, in some embodiments, the method might further comprise establishing two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises, each of the two or more isolated service overlays having network traffic that is isolated from network traffic transmitted along another of the two or more isolated service overlays. In some cases, the two or more isolated service overlays might comprise two or more of a secure data service overlay, an Internet service overlay, an Internet of Things (“IoT”) service overlay, a programmable services backbone (“PSB”) service overlay, a content delivery network (“CDN”) service overlay, one or more application (or app) service overlays each associated with an application service provider, or one or more other service overlays each associated with a service provider, and/or the like. According to some embodiments, establishing the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises might comprise establishing one of a virtual LAN (“VLAN”) or a virtual extensible LAN (“VXLAN”), and/or the like, for each of the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises. 
     In another aspect, a system might comprise a gateway device located at a customer premises of a plurality of customer premises and a network node located at a network service point that is external to a demarcation point at each of the plurality of customer premises. The gateway device might comprise at least one first processor and a first non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one first processor. The first non-transitory computer readable medium might have stored thereon computer software comprising a first set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, causes the gateway device to establish a customer local area network (“LAN”) within the customer premises. The network node might comprise at least one second processor and a second non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one second processor. The second non-transitory computer readable medium might have stored thereon computer software comprising a second set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, causes the network node to establish, at the network service point, a connection between a service provider network and the customer LAN and to extend the customer LAN, via the connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, to span between the network service point and the customer premises. 
     In some embodiments, extending the customer LAN to span between the network service point and the customer premises might comprise extending the customer LAN to span between the network service point and the customer premises by utilizing one or more of network functions virtualization (“NFV”) or software-defined networks (“SDNs”). In some instances, the network service point might be located at one of a central office or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (“DSLAM”). Alternatively, or additionally, the network service point might be located at one of an optical line terminal (“OLT”), a network access point (“NAP”), a network interface device (“NID”), or an enhanced NID (“eNID”), and/or the like, each of which is located on a network-side relative to the demarcation point. In some cases, the service provider network might be a wide area network (“WAN”). 
     According to some embodiments, the second set of instructions, when executed by the at least one second processor, might further cause the network node to map between the service provider network and the customer LAN, via at least one of a router function, a mapper function, a programmable services backbone (“PSB”) function, a network functions virtualization (“NFV”) function, or a software-defined network (“SDN”) function, and/or the like. 
     In some embodiments, the second set of instructions, when executed by the at least one second processor, might further cause the network node to establish two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises, each of the two or more isolated service overlays having network traffic that is isolated from network traffic transmitted along another of the two or more isolated service overlays. In some cases, the two or more isolated service overlays might comprise two or more of a secure data service overlay, an Internet service overlay, an Internet of Things (“IoT”) service overlay, a programmable services backbone (“PSB”) service overlay, a content delivery network (“CDN”) service overlay, one or more application (or app) service overlays each associated with an application service provider, or one or more other service overlays each associated with a service provider, and/or the like. According to some embodiments, establishing the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises might comprise establishing one of a virtual LAN (“VLAN”) or a virtual extensible LAN (“VXLAN”), and/or the like, for each of the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises. 
     In yet another aspect, an apparatus might be provided that is located at a network service point that is external to a demarcation point at each of the plurality of customer premises. The apparatus might comprise at least one processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor. The non-transitory computer readable medium might have stored thereon computer software comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to establish, at the network service point, a connection between a service provider network and a customer local area network (“LAN”), the customer LAN being established within a customer premises of the plurality of customer premises, and to extend the customer LAN, via the connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, to span between the network service point and the customer premises. 
     In some cases, the network service point might be located at one of a central office or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (“DSLAM”), and/or the like. According to some embodiments, the set of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, might further cause the apparatus to map between the service provider network and the customer LAN, via at least one of a router function, a mapper function, a programmable services backbone (“PSB”) function, a network functions virtualization (“NFV”) function, or a software-defined network (“SDN”) function. 
     In some embodiments, the set of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, might further cause the apparatus to establish two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises, each of the two or more isolated service overlays having network traffic that is isolated from network traffic transmitted along another of the two or more isolated service overlays. In some cases, the two or more isolated service overlays might comprise two or more of a secure data service overlay, an Internet service overlay, an Internet of Things (“IoT”) service overlay, a programmable services backbone (“PSB”) service overlay, a content delivery network (“CDN”) service overlay, one or more application (or app) service overlays each associated with an application service provider, or one or more other service overlays each associated with a service provider, and/or the like. According to some embodiments, establishing the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises might comprise establishing one of a virtual LAN (“VLAN”) or a virtual extensible LAN (“VXLAN”), and/or the like, for each of the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises. 
     Various modifications and additions can be made to the embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combination of features and embodiments that do not include all of the above described features. 
     Specific Exemplary Embodiments 
     We now turn to the embodiments as illustrated by the drawings.  FIGS. 1-14  illustrate some of the features of the method, system, and apparatus for implementing extension of customer local area networks (“LANs”), implementing isolated service overlays over a network, and/or implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, and, in particular embodiments, to methods, systems, apparatus, and computer software for implementing extension of customer LANs at a provider network service point(s), implementing isolated service overlays between the provider network service point(s) and each of one or more customer premises, and/or implementing network enhanced gateway functionality using network functions virtualization (“NFV”) and/or software defined networks (“SDNs”), as referred to above.  FIG. 1  illustrates a system for implementing extension of customer LANs at a provider network service point(s) and/or implementing isolated service overlays between the provider network service point(s) and each of one or more customer premises.  FIGS. 2A-2C and 6  illustrate some of the specific (although non-limiting) exemplary features of the method, system, and apparatus for implementing extension of a customer LAN at a provider network service point(s).  FIG. 3  illustrates specific (although non-limiting) exemplary features of a system for implementing content delivery to a customer without affecting Internet service for other customers.  FIGS. 4, 5, and 7  illustrate some of the specific (although non-limiting) exemplary features of the method, system, and apparatus for implementing isolated service overlays between a provider network service point(s) and a customer premises (or each of a plurality of customer premises).  FIGS. 8-12  illustrate some of the specific (although non-limiting) exemplary features of the method, system, and apparatus for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality.  FIGS. 13 and 14  illustrate exemplary system and hardware implementation. The methods, systems, and apparatuses illustrated by  FIGS. 1-14  refer to examples of different embodiments that include various components and steps, which can be considered alternatives or which can be used in conjunction with one another in the various embodiments. The description of the illustrated methods, systems, and apparatuses shown in  FIGS. 1-14  is provided for purposes of illustration and should not be considered to limit the scope of the different embodiments. 
     With reference to the figures,  FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system  100  for implementing extension of a customer LAN at a provider network service point(s) and/or implementing isolated service overlays between a provider network service point(s) and a customer premises, in accordance with various embodiments. 
     In  FIG. 1 , system  100  might comprise a plurality of customer premises  105 , which might comprise a first customer premises  105   a , a second customer premises  105   b , through an N th  customer premises  105   n . Each of the first through N th  customer premises  105   a - 105   n  might include, without limitation, one of customer residences (e.g., single-family homes, multi-dwelling units (“MDUs”), etc.), commercial or business customer premises, industrial customer premises, and/or the like. In various embodiments, system  100  might further comprise at least one of a gateway device  110  and/or a network interface device (“NID”)  115  located at or near each of the customer premises  105 . In some cases, the gateway device  110  might include, without limitation, at least one of a residential gateway (“RG”) device, a business gateway (“BG”) device, a virtual gateway (“vG”) device, a modem, a router, a network switch, and/or the like. The NID  115  might comprise at least one of an optical network terminal (“ONT”), a copper-fed network interface device (“NID”), or an enhanced NID (“eNID”), and/or the like. In some embodiments, the gateway device  110  might be located within the customer premises, while the NID  115  might be located on an exterior wall or telecommunications room/closet of the customer premises, the NID  115  serving as a demarcation point  120  that typically or traditionally marks the end of a public network associated with a telecommunications company or a network service provider and the beginning of a private network associated with a customer who is associated with the particular customer premises. With reference to the embodiments of at least  FIGS. 2B, 2C, and 6  below, the demarcation point as a physical marker of the end of the public network and the beginning of the private network no longer applies, as described in detail in those embodiments. According to some embodiments, the gateway device  110  and the NID  115  might be embodied as a single device that is either located within the customer premises or located on an exterior wall or telecommunications room/closet of the customer premises. 
     System  100  might further comprise, at a central office (“CO”)  125 , at least one programmable services backbone (“PSB”) node  130 . Herein, “programmable services backbone” (also referred to as “platform services backbone”) might refer to a network backbone or a network services backbone that is programmable, and, in some embodiments, may be programmable by utilizing one or both of NFV (which covers orchestration as well as virtualization layer infrastructure and management, and/or the like) and/or SDN (which covers software defined networking). System  100  might also comprise a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (“DSLAM”) or an optical line terminal (“OLT”)  135  (collectively, “DSLAM/OLT  135 ”), which might be either a CO-based DSLAM/OLT  135   a  that is located in the CO  125  and/or an external DSLAM/OLT  135   b  that is located in between the CO  125  and the plurality of customer premises  105 . In some cases, in place of a DSLAM, a cable modem termination system (“CMTS”) might be used. The at least one PSB node  130 , in CO  125 , might provide Internet service or other network service from Internet  140  to one or more customer premises of the plurality of customer premises  105  via one or both DSLAMs/OLTs  135 , via NIDs  115 , and/or via gateway devices  110 , or the like, as shown by the solid line connecting Internet  140  to the NIDs  115   a  and  115   b , through the at least one PSB node  130  and through one of DSLAM/OLT  135   a  or  135   b.    
     According to some embodiments, system  100  might further comprise one or more software-defined network (“SDN”) controllers  145 , one or more NFV entities  150 , or both that provide programmable and/or virtual network functionalities to components in the network, such as, but not limited to, gateway devices  110 , NIDs  115 , DSLAMs  135 , OLTs  135 , and/or the like. In some cases, each NFV entity might include, but is not limited to, at least one of a NFV orchestrator, a network functions virtualization infrastructure (“NFVI”) system, a NFV management and orchestration (“MANO”) system, a VNF manager, a NFV resource manager, a virtualized infrastructure manager (“VIM”), a virtual machine (“VM”), a macro orchestrator, or a domain orchestrator, and/or the like, not unlike the NFV entities as described in the embodiments of  FIGS. 8-11  below. 
     In some embodiments, system  100  might comprise an application service provider (“ASP”) or ASP server(s)  155  that might provide at least one of software applications (“apps”), media content (e.g., video, image, audio, game content, and/or the like), data content, and/or the like to customer premises  105 , via one or both of service portal  160   a  located within CO  125  and/or service portal  160   b  located external to CO  125 , via one or both of CO-based DSLAM/OLT  135   a  and/or external DSLAM/OLT  135   b , via one or both of NID  115  and/or gateway device  110 . In some instances, the one or more SDN controllers  145  and/or the one or more NFV entities  150  might provide programmable and/or virtual network functionalities to one or both of the service portal  160   a  located within CO  125  and/or the service portal  160   b  located external to CO  125 . 
     In operation, system  100  might implement extension of a customer LAN at a provider network service point(s) (as described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 2A-2C and 6  below), implement content delivery to a customer without affecting Internet service (e.g., high speed Internet service) for other customers (as described in detail with reference to  FIG. 3  below), implement isolated service overlays between a provider network service point(s) and a customer premises (as described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 4, 5, and 7  below), or a combination of these functions. 
       FIGS. 2A-2C  (collectively, “ FIG. 2 ”) are schematic diagrams illustrating various systems  200 ,  200 ′, and  200 ″ for implementing extension of a customer LAN at a provider network service point(s), in accordance with various embodiments.  FIG. 2A  depicts a system  200  in which a gateway device  205 , which might be located at customer premises  105 , establishes a (network) connection between a customer LAN  210  and a service provider network  215  (in this case, a wide area network (“WAN”)  215 , although not necessarily limited to a WAN). Herein, gateway device  205  might correspond to one or both of gateway device  110  and/or NID  115  of  FIG. 1 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , dash lines  220  represent the relative positions of the gateway device  205 , the customer LAN  210 , the WAN  215 , and other components of the network (e.g., components in the CO  125 , the DSLAM/OLT  135 , or the like as shown in  FIG. 1 , network node  225   a  shown in  FIG. 2B , network node  225   b  shown in  FIG. 2C , and the like). As shown in  FIG. 2A , the gateway device  205  and the customer LAN  210  might be located at customer premises  105  (which might include being located in, at, or on an exterior wall of customer premises  105 , as appropriate or as desired) (as indicated by the dashed line  220   a ), while the WAN  215  might span a portion of the gateway device  205 , DSLAM/OLT  135 , CO  125 , and Internet  140  (as indicated by the dashed lines  220   b ,  220   c , and  220   d ). In some embodiments,  FIG. 2A  might represent a traditional or convention state in which the customer LAN  210  spans only the customer premises  105  (or a portion thereof), while the WAN  215  (or other service provider network) to which the customer LAN  210  interconnects via gateway device  205  spans a portion of the gateway device  205 , DSLAM/OLT  135 , CO  125 , and Internet  140 . In other embodiments,  FIG. 2B  represents an initial state prior to extension of the customer LAN  210  beyond the customer premises  105  (toward the CO  125 ), as described below with respect to  FIGS. 2B and 2C . 
     In some embodiments, the gateway device  205  might provide transmission functions (i.e., transmission from/to WAN  215  to/from LAN  210 ), LAN switching functions, dynamic host configuration protocol (“DHCP”) functions (which automatically assign Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses for the LAN so that computing and/or client devices can communicate), WAN routing functions, and/or the like. 
     We now turn to  FIG. 2B , in which system  200 ′ is similar to system  200  of  FIG. 2A , except that system  200 ′ further comprises network node  225   a  located at DSLAM/OLT  135  (which refers to external DSLAM/OLT  135   b  in  FIG. 1 ) (as indicated by the dashed line  220   b ). In operation, network node  225   a  extends the customer LAN  210 —via or using the connection between the service provider network (here, WAN  215 ) and the customer LAN  210 —to span between the network node  225   a  (which is located at DSLAM/OLT  135  or external DSLAM/OLT  135   b  as shown in  FIG. 1 ) and the customer premises  105 . In other words, the network node  225   a  extends the customer LAN  210  (which only spans the customer premises  105  in the embodiment of  FIG. 2A ) beyond the customer premises  105  (i.e., beyond the demarcation point (e.g., demarcation point  120  of  FIG. 1 )). System  200 ′ is otherwise similar, if not identical, to system  200  of  FIG. 2A . 
     Alternatively, with reference to  FIG. 2C , system  200 ″, which is similar to system  200  of  FIG. 2A  or system  200 ′ of  FIG. 2B , further comprises network node  225   b  that is located at CO  125  (as indicated by the dashed line  220   c ). In operation, network node  225   b  extends the customer LAN  210 —via or using the connection between the service provider network (here, WAN  215 ) and the customer LAN  210 —to span between the network node  225   b  (which is located at CO  125 ) and the customer premises  105 . In other words, like network node  225   a  of  FIG. 2B , the network node  225   b  extends the customer LAN  210  (which only spans the customer premises  105  in the embodiment of  FIG. 2A ) beyond the customer premises  105  (i.e., beyond the demarcation point (e.g., demarcation point  120  of  FIG. 1 )). 
     In the embodiments of  FIGS. 2B and 2C , in some aspects, network node  225   a  or  225   b  might provide at least one of WAN routing functions, an ability to virtualize applications on the WAN, and/or the like, while gateway device  205  might provide at least one of transmission functions (i.e., transmission from/to WAN  215  to/from LAN  210 ), LAN switching functions, dynamic host configuration protocol (“DHCP”) functions, and/or the like. System  200 ″ is otherwise similar, if not identical, to system  200  of  FIG. 2A  or system  200 ′ of  FIG. 2B . 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system  300  for implementing content delivery to a customer without affecting Internet service (e.g., high speed Internet service, broadband service, etc.) for other customers, in accordance with various embodiments. In  FIG. 3 , system  300  might comprise a plurality of customer premises  305 , which might comprise a first customer premises  305   a , a second customer premises  305   b , through an N th  customer premises  305   n . Each of the first through N th  customer premises  305   a - 305   n  might include, without limitation, one of customer residences (e.g., single-family homes, multi-dwelling units (“MDUs”), etc.), commercial or business customer premises, industrial customer premises, and/or the like. In various embodiments, system  300  might further comprise at least one of a gateway device  310  and/or a network interface device (“NID”)  315  located at or near each of the customer premises  305 . In some cases, the gateway device  310  might include, without limitation, at least one of a residential gateway (“RG”) device, a business gateway (“BG”) device, a virtual gateway (“vG”) device, a modem, a router, a network switch, and/or the like. The NID  315  might comprise at least one of an optical network terminal (“ONT”), a copper-fed network interface device (“NID”), or an enhanced NID (“eNID”), and/or the like. In some embodiments, the gateway device  310  might be located within the customer premises, while the NID  315  might be located on an exterior wall or telecommunications room/closet of the customer premises, the NID  315  serving as a demarcation point  320  that typically or traditionally marks the end of a public network associated with a telecommunications company or a network service provider and the beginning of a private network associated with a customer who is associated with the particular customer premises. With reference to the embodiments of at least  FIGS. 2B and 2C  above, and  FIG. 6  below, the demarcation point as a physical marker of the end of the public network and the beginning of the private network no longer applies, as described in detail in those embodiments. According to some embodiments, the gateway device  310  and the NID  315  might be embodied as a single device that is either located within the customer premises or located on an exterior wall or telecommunications room/closet of the customer premises. 
     System  300  might further comprise one or more DSLAMs/OLTs  335  (which might correspond to one or both of CO-based DSLAM/OLT  135   a  and/or external DSLAM/OLT  135   b  of  FIG. 1 ) and Internet  340 . Between the one or more DSLAMs/OLTs  335  and the Internet  340 , system  300  might comprise core network  365 , which might comprise one or more edge switches  370 . The one or more edge switches  370  might comprise a first edge switch  370   a  (located in core network  365 , while being relatively close to the customer premises  305 ), a second edge switch  370   b  (located in core network  365 , while being relatively close to the Internet  340  and further from the customer premises  305 ), and a third edge switch  370   c  (located in core network  365 , while being relatively close to the customer premises  305 , although not necessarily as close as the first edge switch  370   a  is to the customer premises  305 ). In operation, the core network (via at least the first edge switch  370   a , the second edge switch  370   b , the one or more DSLAMs/OLTs  335 , and one or both of the NIDs  315  and the gateway devices  310 ) provides Internet service (e.g., high speed Internet, broadband Internet, and/or the like) to the customer premises  305  (as indicated by the shared pipes  375   a  through  375   n ). 
     In some embodiments, system  300  might further comprise one or more service portals  360 . In some cases, the one or more service portals  360  might each be part of or communicatively coupled to one or more edge switches  370 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , a service portal  360  is part of the first edge switch  370   a , and is also communicatively coupled to third edge switch  370   c . System  300  might further comprise one or more ASPs or ASP servers  355 , which might provide at least one of software applications (“apps”), media content (e.g., video, image, audio, game content, and/or the like), data content, and/or the like to customer premises  305 —via third edge switch  370   c , service portal  360 , and at least one of the one or more DSLAMs/OLTs  335 , and one or both of NID  315   a  and/or gateway device  310   a —to customer premises  305   a  (as indicated by the service pipe  380 ). 
     In some embodiments, service portal  360  might be instantiated within first edge switch  370   a  using at least one of a PSB virtual function, a SDN controller, a NFV entity, a virtual network function (“VNF”), and/or the like. By routing the services of the ASP  355  in the manner as described above with respect to  FIG. 3  (i.e., by feeding a service pipe  380  (which in some cases might be embodied as one of the service overlays as described in detail below with respect to  FIGS. 4, 5, and 7 ) along the edge of the core network via the service portal  360 ), the Internet service provided by the network service provider to each of the customer premises is not impacted by the ASP service to the customer premises  305   a.    
     Although  FIG. 3  shows a single ASP or ASP server  355  providing service to one customer premises  305 , this is merely for simplicity of illustration, and the various embodiments are not so limited. That is, any number or all of the customer premises  305   a - 305   n  might be serviced by the ASP or ASP server  355  (or a plurality of ASPs or ASP servers  355 ) in a similar manner through one or a plurality of service portals  360  (and edge switch(es)  370  and DSLAM(s)/OLT(s)  335 , as appropriate or as desired). 
     Customer premises  305 , gateway device  310 , NID  315 , demarcation point  320 , DSLAM/OLT  335 , Internet  340 , ASP or ASP server  355 , and service portal  360  might otherwise be similar, if not identical, to customer premises  105 , gateway device  110 , NID  115 , demarcation point  120 , DSLAM/OLT  135   a  and/or  135   b , Internet  340 , ASP or ASP server  355 , and service portal  160   a  and/or  160   b , respectively, as described above with respect to  FIG. 1 . System  300  might otherwise be similar, if not identical, to system  100  of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  are directed to implementing isolated service overlays.  FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system  400  for implementing isolated service overlays between a provider network service point(s) and each of a plurality of customer premises, in accordance with various embodiments.  FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system  500  for implementing isolated service overlays between a provider network service point(s) and a customer premises, in accordance with various embodiments. 
     In  FIG. 4 , system  400  might comprise one or more virtual premises (“Vp”) gateway devices  405  (which might comprise a first through N th  Vp gateway devices  405   a - 405   n ) and corresponding one or more virtual network (“Vn”) gateway devices  410  (which might comprise a first through N th  Vn gateway devices  410   a - 410   n ). System  400  might further comprise at least one network node  415 , and the one or more Vn gateway devices  410  might be located at the at least one network node  415 . Here, network node  415  might correspond to network node  225   a  or  225   b  of  FIG. 2B or 2C , respectively. Similar to network node  225   a  or  225   b  as described above with respect to  FIG. 2B or 2C , network node  415  might establish a connection between WAN  420  and each customer LAN  430  (here, shown as customer LAN  430   a  through customer LAN  430   n , each corresponding to one of Vp gateway devices  405   a  through  405   n ) and/or might extend each customer LAN  430  (via the connection) to span between the network node  415  (which is a network service point) and each corresponding customer premises (e.g., customer premises  105  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). 
     System  400  might further establish two or more isolated service overlays  425  within WAN  420  (or other service provider network  420 ). In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the two or more isolated service overlays  425  might include, without limitation, two or more of a secure data service overlay, an Internet service overlay, an Internet of Things (“IoT”) service overlay, a programmable services backbone (“PSB”) service overlay, a content delivery network (“CDN”) service overlay, one or more application or app service overlays each associated with an application service provider, or one or more other service overlays each associated with a service provider. Each of the two or more isolated service overlays have network traffic that is isolated from network traffic transmitted along another of the two or more isolated service overlays. System  400  might further establish corresponding two or more isolated service overlays  435  within each customer LAN  430  (here, shown as two or more isolated service overlays  435   a  established within customer LAN  430   a , two or more isolated service overlays  435   n  established within customer LAN  430   n , and so on, with each set of service overlays  435   a - 435   b  and each customer LAN  430 - 430   n  corresponding to one of Vp gateway devices  405   a  through  405   n ). The network node  415  and/or each Vn gateway device  410   a - 410   n  routes and/or maps each of the two or more isolated service overlays  425  within WAN  420  with a corresponding one of the two or more isolated service overlays  435  for each customer LAN  430   a - 430   n . In this manner, full isolation, security, privacy enforcement, placement of apps, data, and/or content in each or any overlay  425 , and/or any combination of these functions may be achieved, for each customer at each customer premises. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , each Vn gateway device  410  might be embodied as a Vn gateway container  410  within network node  415 . The Vn gateway container  410  might comprise a router/mapper function  505  (which might be a VNF or the like that is instantiated within the Vn gateway device  410  using at least one of a PSB virtual function, a SDN controller, a NFV entity, a VNF, and/or the like). In  FIG. 5 , the diamond-shaped icons, in some cases, represent gateway functions. In particular, the set of diamond-shaped icons between the WAN  420  and the Vn Gateway Container  410  each represents a gateway function that represents where (an overlay for) the WAN (or Internet) “stops”; all functions to the right of this set of diamond-shaped icons in  FIG. 5  represent the “platform”-side of the service, with the Vn gateway being the edge of platform (in this sense). The router/mapper function  505  might have a WAN interface  510  that interfaces with WAN  420  and a LAN interface  515  that interfaces with LAN  435 , including interfacing each of the two or more isolated service overlays  425  within WAN  420  and interfacing each of the two or more isolated service overlays  435  within each customer LAN  430 . The router/mapper function  505  might further map each of the two or more isolated service overlays  425  (on the WAN-side) with each corresponding one of the two or more isolated service overlays  435  (on the LAN-side). For example, router/mapper function  505  might map secure data service overlay  425  of WAN  420  with secure data service overlay  435  of LAN  430 , map Internet service overlay  425  of WAN  420  with Internet service overlay  435  of LAN  430 , map IoT service overlay  425  of WAN  420  with IoT service overlay  435  of LAN  430 , map PSB service overlay  425  of WAN  420  with PSB service overlay  435  of LAN  430 , map CDN service overlay  425  of WAN  420  with CDN service overlay  435  of LAN  430 , map one or more app service overlays  425  of WAN  420  with one or more app service overlays  435  of LAN  430 , map one or more other service overlays  425  of WAN  420  with one or more other service overlays  435  of LAN  430 , and so on. 
     In some embodiments, Vn gateway container  410  might further comprise one or more virtual application (“Vapp”) containers  520 , which, in some cases, might include, but are not limited to, at least one of one or more firewalls or firewall Vapp containers  520   a , one or more Vapp containers  520   b  hosting one or more authentication, authorization, and accounting (“AAA”) proxies  525 , one or more containers  520   c  hosting one or more IoT servers  530 , one or more CDN Vapp containers  520   d , and/or the like. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the Internet data stream from the Internet service overlay  425  of WAN  420  might first be routed through a firewall Vapp container  520   a  (as indicated by a dashed line routing through firewall Vapp container  520   a ), prior to interfacing with the WAN interface of router/mapper function  505  and subsequently routing/mapping to the corresponding Internet service overlay  435  of customer LAN  430 . Likewise, the IoT data stream from the IoT service overlay  425  of WAN  420  might first be routed through a IoT server  530  in container  520   c  (as indicated by a solid line routing through container  520   c ), prior to interfacing with the WAN interface of router/mapper function  505  and subsequently routing/mapping to the corresponding IoT service overlay  435  of customer LAN  430 . Similarly, the PSB data stream from the PSB service overlay  425  of WAN  420  might first be routed through a AAA proxy  525  in Vapp container  520   b  (as indicated by a long dashed line routing through Vapp container  520   b ), prior to interfacing with the WAN interface of router/mapper function  505  and subsequently routing/mapping to the corresponding PSB service overlay  435  of customer LAN  430 . In a similar manner, the CDN data stream from the CDN service overlay  425  of WAN  420  might first be routed through CDN Vapp container  520   d  (as indicated by a long dash/dash line routing through CDN Vapp container  520   d ), prior to interfacing with the WAN interface of router/mapper function  505  and subsequently routing/mapping to the corresponding CDN service overlay  435  of customer LAN  430 . 
     If Internet protocol version 4 (“IPv4”) is used, mapping between the WAN  420  (i.e., service provider network) and the customer LAN  430  might comprise mapping between the WAN  420  and the customer LAN  430  using network address translation (“NAT”), which remaps one IP address space into another by modifying network address information in IP datagram packet headers, while the IP datagram packets (whose headers are to be modified) are in transit across the router/mapper function  505  of the Vn gateway container  410 . Alternatively, if Internet protocol version 6 (“IPv6”) is used, mapping between the WAN  420  (i.e., service provider network) and the customer LAN  430  might comprise directly mapping between the WAN  420  (in some cases, VxLANs) and the customer LAN  430  for each of the service overlays  425 / 435 . In some embodiments, the Vn gateway device  410  might essentially be a router or VxLAN mapper in a container that controls the mapping between the Internet (e.g., Internet  140  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) or WAN  420  and the customer LAN  430 . In some instances, the Vn gateway device  410  can add applications and services at any point (i.e., in any service overlay on the WAN-side and/or on the LAN-side) by modifying the mappings. According to some embodiments, the WAN comprises separated overlays that are treated via a border network gateway or broadband network gateway (“BNG”) and/or gateway function as they are mapped into the LAN. On the LAN side, multiple methods and technologies—including, but not limited to, virtual private networks (“VPNs”), secure shell tunnels, and/or the like—may be utilized to transport the service, to extend the WAN overlay into the LAN. 
     In some embodiments, a “platform” feature (i.e., feature of the Vn gateway or the like) might include “fencing,” which might refer to an isolated overlay (or a VPN, secure shell tunnel, VLAN, VXLAN, etc.) securing or “fencing off” access to something on the customer LAN so that it is protected and other flows or network traffic are “kept away” from it. For example, with IoT, it may be desired to have an IoT application communicate with a single IoT sensor, and not to just anything that is available on the Internet. In this case, a “who can access”—type list for the IoT overlay (or IoT VPN, IoT secure shell tunnel, IoT VLAN, IoT VXLAN, etc.) might be used when performing fencing for the IoT sensor. In some cases, an intrusion detection system (“IDS”), which is a device or software application that monitors network or system activities for malicious activities and that reports such activities, might be used in conjunction with the “fencing” feature to ensure that the IoT application is the only application that communicates with the particularly IoT sensor, otherwise reports and alarms might be triggered, by the IDS, indicating a system security breach or the like. 
     Although not specifically shown in the figures, components of the systems  400  and/or  500  may be wirelessly connected to other components in the respective system(s). For example, wireless speaker systems might communicatively couple to the CDN Vapp container  520   d  and the CDN overlay  425  via the CDN overlay  435 . Alternatively, wireless backhaul might be used via the PSB overlay  425  and/or the PSB overlay  435 . 
       FIG. 6  is a flow diagram illustrating a method  600  for implementing extension of a customer LAN at a provider network service point(s), in accordance with various embodiments. While the techniques and procedures are depicted and/or described in a certain order for purposes of illustration, it should be appreciated that certain procedures may be reordered and/or omitted within the scope of various embodiments. Moreover, while the method  600  illustrated by  FIG. 6  can be implemented by or with (and, in some cases, are described below with respect to) the systems  100 ,  200 ′,  200 ″,  300 ,  400 , and  500  of  FIGS. 1, 2B, 2C, 3, 4, and 5  respectively (or components thereof), such methods may also be implemented using any suitable hardware (or software) implementation. Similarly, while each of the systems  100 ,  200 ′,  200 ″,  300 ,  400 , and  500  of  FIGS. 1, 2B, 2C, 3, 4, and 5 , respectively (or components thereof), can operate according to the method  600  illustrated by  FIG. 6  (e.g., by executing instructions embodied on a computer readable medium), the systems  100 ,  200 ′,  200 ″,  300 ,  400 , and  500  of  FIGS. 1, 2B, 2C, 3, 4, and 5  can each also operate according to other modes of operation and/or perform other suitable procedures. 
     In  FIG. 6 , method  600 , at optional block  605 , might comprise establishing a customer local area network (“LAN”) within a customer premises of a plurality of customer premises. Alternatively, the customer LAN may already have been previously established at the customer premises. 
     At block  610 , method  600  might comprise establishing, at a network service point (e.g., at network node  225   a  located at a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (“DSLAM”) or optical line terminal (“OLT”)  135  in  FIG. 2B , at network node  225   b  located at a central office  125  in  FIG. 2C , or the like), a connection between a service provider network and the customer LAN (e.g., a connection between wide area network (“WAN”)  215  and customer LAN  210  of  FIG. 2 , a connection between WAN  420  and customer LAN  430  of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , or the like). The network service point, in some cases, is located external to a demarcation point (e.g., demarcation point  120  of  FIG. 1 , demarcation point  220   a  of  FIG. 2 , demarcation point  320  of  FIG. 3 , or the like) at each of the plurality of customer premises (e.g., customer premises  105  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , customer premises  305  of  FIG. 3 , or the like). In some embodiments, the network service point might be located at one of a central office or a DSLAM, and/or the like. Alternatively, or additionally, the network service point might be located at one of an OLT, a network access point (“NAP”), a network interface device (“NID”), or an enhanced NID (“eNID”), and/or the like, each of which might be located on a network-side relative to the demarcation point. In some instances, the service provider network is a WAN. 
     Method  600  might further comprise extending the customer LAN, via the connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, to span between the network service point and the customer premises (block  615 ). According to some embodiments, extending the customer LAN to span between the network service point and the customer premises might comprise extending the customer LAN to span between the network service point and the customer premises by utilizing one or more of network functions virtualization (“NFV”) or software-defined networks (“SDNs”), and/or the like. 
     Method  600 , at block  620 , might comprise mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN (i.e., mapping one network to the other, and/or vice versa). In some embodiments, mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN might comprise mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN, via at least one of a router function, a mapper function, a programmable services backbone (“PSB”) function, a NFV function, or a SDN function, and/or the like. 
     At block  625 , method  600  might further comprise establishing two or more isolated service overlays (e.g., isolated service overlays  435  of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , or the like) across the customer LAN (e.g., customer LAN  430  of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , or the like) between the network service point (e.g., at network node  225   a  located at a DSLAM or OLT  135  in  FIG. 2B , at network node  225   b  located at a central office  125  in  FIG. 2C , at a network node  415  in  FIG. 4 , at a virtual network gateway or gateway container  410  in  FIG. 5 , or the like) and the customer premises (e.g., customer premises  105  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , customer premises  305  of  FIG. 3 , or the like), each of the two or more isolated service overlays having network traffic that is isolated from network traffic transmitted along another of the two or more isolated service overlays. Merely by way of example, according to some embodiments, the two or more isolated service overlays might include, without limitation, two or more of a secure data service overlay, an Internet service overlay, an Internet of Things (“IoT”) service overlay, a PSB service overlay, a content delivery network (“CDN”) service overlay, one or more application or app service overlays each associated with an application service provider, or one or more other service overlays each associated with a service provider, and/or the like. 
     In some embodiments, establishing the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises might comprise establishing one of a virtual LAN (“VLAN”) or a virtual extensible LAN (“VXLAN”) for each of the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises (block  630 ). 
       FIG. 7  is a flow diagram illustrating a method  700  for implementing isolated service overlays between a provider network service point(s) and a customer premises, in accordance with various embodiments. While the techniques and procedures are depicted and/or described in a certain order for purposes of illustration, it should be appreciated that certain procedures may be reordered and/or omitted within the scope of various embodiments. Moreover, while the method  700  illustrated by  FIG. 7  can be implemented by or with (and, in some cases, are described below with respect to) the systems  100 ,  200 ,  200 ′,  200 ″,  300 ,  400 , and  500  of  FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3, 4, and 5 , respectively (or components thereof), such methods may also be implemented using any suitable hardware (or software) implementation. Similarly, while each of the systems  100 ,  200 ,  200 ′,  200 ″,  300 ,  400 , and  500  of  FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3, 4, and 5 , respectively (or components thereof), can operate according to the method  700  illustrated by  FIG. 7  (e.g., by executing instructions embodied on a computer readable medium), the systems  100 ,  200 ,  200 ′,  200 ″,  300 ,  400 , and  500  of  FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3, 4, and 5  can each also operate according to other modes of operation and/or perform other suitable procedures. 
     In  FIG. 7 , method  700 , at optional block  705 , might comprise establishing a customer local area network (“LAN”) within a customer premises of a plurality of customer premises. Alternatively, the customer LAN may already have been previously established at the customer premises. 
     At block  710 , method  700  might comprise establishing, at a network service point, a connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN (e.g., a connection between WAN  215  and customer LAN  210  of  FIG. 2 , a connection between WAN  420  and customer LAN  430  of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , or the like). The network service point, in some cases, might be located at network node  225   a  that is located at a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (“DSLAM”) or optical line terminal (“OLT”)  135  in  FIG. 2B , at network node  225   b  that is located at a central office  125  in  FIG. 2C , or in a service provider network (e.g., wide area network (“WAN”)  215  of  FIG. 2 , WAN  420  of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , or the like), and/or the like. In some embodiments, the network service point might be located at one of an edge switch, a central office, or a DSLAM, and/or the like. Alternatively, or additionally, the network service point might be located at one of an OLT, a network access point (“NAP”), a network interface device (“NID”), or an enhanced NID (“eNID”), and/or the like, each of which might be located near or within the customer premises. In some instances, the service provider network is a WAN. 
     According to some embodiments, establishing the connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN might comprise one of establishing a wireless connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, establishing a wired connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, establishing a hybrid wireless/wired connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, or establishing a backup connection between the service provider network and the customer LAN, and/or the like. 
     Method  700  might further comprise, at block  715 , establishing two or more isolated service overlays (e.g., isolated service overlays  435  of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , or the like) across the connection between the network service point (e.g., at network node  225   a  located at a DSLAM or OLT  135  in  FIG. 2B , at network node  225   b  located at a central office  125  in  FIG. 2C , at a network node  415  in  FIG. 4 , at a virtual network gateway or gateway container  410  in  FIG. 5 , or the like) and the customer premises (e.g., customer premises  105  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , customer premises  305  of  FIG. 3 , or the like), each of the two or more isolated service overlays having network traffic that is isolated from network traffic transmitted along another of the two or more isolated service overlays. Merely by way of example, according to some embodiments, the two or more isolated service overlays might include, without limitation, two or more of a secure data service overlay, an Internet service overlay, an Internet of Things (“IoT”) service overlay, a PSB service overlay, a content delivery network (“CDN”) service overlay, one or more application or app service overlays each associated with an application service provider, or one or more other service overlays each associated with a service provider, and/or the like. 
     In some embodiments, establishing the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises might comprise establishing one of a virtual LAN (“VLAN”) or a virtual extensible LAN (“VXLAN”) for each of the two or more isolated service overlays across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises (block  720 ). 
     Method  700 , at block  725 , might comprise mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN (i.e., mapping one network to the other, and/or vice versa). In some embodiments, mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN for each of the two or more isolated service overlays might comprise mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN for each of the two or more isolated service overlays, via at least one of a router function, a mapper function, a programmable services backbone (“PSB”) function, a NFV function, or a SDN function, and/or the like. 
     Method  700  might further comprise selectively placing at least one of a firewall, an application, or content, and/or the like, in any one or more of the two or more isolated service overlays, without affecting network traffic or network service along any other of the two or more isolated service overlays (block  730 ). 
       FIGS. 8A-12  are directed to implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, which is described in detail in the &#39;023700U.S. application (which has already been incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). The network enhanced gateway functionality or a network enhanced gateway device (which implements such functionality) can be used at the customer premises, and might correspond to one or more of gateway  110  and/or NID  115  of  FIG. 1 , gateway  205  of  FIG. 2 , gateway  310  and/or NID  315  of  FIG. 3 , virtual premises (“Vp”) gateway  405  of  FIG. 4 , and/or the like, as described in detail above. Alternatively, or additionally, the network enhanced gateway functionality or the network enhanced gateway device (which implements such functionality), can be used at a network service point, and might correspond to one or more of PSB node(s)  130  and/or DSLAM/OLT  135   a / 135   b  of  FIG. 1 , network node  225   a  and/or  225   b  of  FIG. 2 , DSLAM/OLT  335  of  FIG. 3 , network node  415  and/or virtual network (“Vn”) gateway(s)  410  of  FIG. 4 , Vn gateway container  410  of  FIG. 5 , and/or the like, as described in detail above. 
     With reference to the figures,  FIG. 8A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system  800  for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, in accordance with various embodiments. In  FIG. 8A , system  800  might comprise a gateway device  805 , which might include, without limitation, a switch  810 , at least one transceiver  815 , and one or more client ports  820 , and/or the like. In some cases, the gateway device  805  might further comprise one or more computing systems  825   a . Alternatively, or additionally, the gateway device  805  might further comprise one or more host ports  830 , each communicatively coupled to one or more external computing systems  825   b . The one or more computing systems  825   a  and the one or more external computing systems  825   b  are collectively referred to herein as “computing systems  825 ” or “host computing systems  825 .” 
     In some embodiments, the host computing systems  825  might each comprise at least one of an x86 host computing device or an advanced reduced instruction set computer (“RISC”) machine (“ARM”) computing device, and/or the like. In some cases, the host computing systems  825  might each comprise one or more computing cores, preferably two or more computing cores. In some instances, at least one first computing core might perform functions of a gateway device, while at least one second computing core might perform hypervisor functions to support virtual network functions (“VNFs”). In some embodiments, supporting VNFs might include, without limitation, at least one of generating VNFs, configuring VNFs, instantiating VNFs, modifying VNFs, sending VNFs to particular network and/or computing locations, bursting VNFs in particular network and/or computing locations, removing VNFs from particular network and/or computing locations, replacing VNFs, providing complementary other VNFs to complement or supplement functions of the VNF, and/or the like. 
     According to some embodiments, the switch  810  might communicatively couple to two or more of the following components: the at least one transceiver  815 , the one or more client ports  820 , the one or more computing systems  825   a , and/or the one or more host ports  830 , and/or the like. In some cases, the transceiver  815  might directly couple with the one or more computing systems  825   a . In some embodiments, each of the plurality of client ports  820  might comprise one of a local area network (“LAN”) port, a Wi-Fi port, an advanced technology attachment (“ATA”) port, a serial ATA (“SATA”) port, an external SATA (“eSATA”) port, a powered eSATA (“eSATAp”) port, a mini SATA (“mSATA”) port, a SATA Express port, a M.2 port, or a universal serial bus (“USB”) port, and/or the like. In some cases, the network switch  810  might be an Ethernet switch or a LAN switch that connects one or more LAN segments (typically, but not limited to, one of WiFi and one for the physical LAN ports, and/or the like). In some embodiments, the network switch  810  can be a physical switch or a virtual switch. In some cases, the network switch  810  might be a virtual network switch that utilizes a network switch VNF to provide network switching functionality. According to some embodiments, gateway device  805  might comprise a dynamic host configuration protocol (“DHCP”), which is a client/server protocol that automatically assigns Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses for the LAN so that computing and/or client devices can communicate. The DHCP (which is depicted in  FIGS. 9-11  as DHCP  910   c ,  1010   c , and  1110   c , respectively) is a function that can be embodied as a physical component or as a virtual one; in some cases, a DHCP might be a virtual DHCP that utilizes a DHCP VNF to provide DHCP functionality. In some instances, the transceiver  815  might be a virtual transceiver that utilizes a transceiver VNF to provide transceiver functionality. 
     In some embodiments, system  800  might further comprise one or more client devices  835  that may be communicatively coupled to switch  810  each via a corresponding client port of the one or more client ports  820 . The one or more client devices  835 , according to some embodiments, might include, without limitation, a user device including, but not limited to, one of a tablet computer  835   a , a smart phone  835   b , a mobile phone  835   c , a portable gaming device  835   d , a laptop computer  835   e , or a desktop computer  835   f , and/or the like. In some instances, the client device  835  might comprise a device  835   g , including, without limitation, a small form factor pluggable (“SFP”) device, an enhanced SFP (“SFP+”) device, a compact SFP (“CSFP”) device, a gigabit interface converter (“GBIC”), a universal serial bus (“USB”) pluggable device, and/or the like. At least one of the SFP device, the SFP+ device, or the CSFP device might comprise at least one of a SFP network interface device (“NID”), a SFP router, a SFP modem, or a SFP wireless access point, and/or the like. The USB pluggable device might comprise one of a printer, a scanner, a combination printer/scanner device, an external hard drive, a camera, a keyboard, a mouse, a drawing interface device, or a mobile device, and/or the like. For each of these client devices  835 , a corresponding or compatible one or more of the above-mentioned client ports  820  would serve as an interface(s) between the particular client device  835  (or type of client device) and the network switch  810 . 
     In some cases, system  800  might further comprise network  840   a , which might communicatively couple to the gateway device  805  via the at least one transceiver  815 , and might also communicatively couple to the Internet  840   b . System  800  might further comprise one or more network functions virtualization (“NFV”) entities and/or a software defined network (“SDN”) controller  845 . In some embodiments, the one or more NFV entities might include, but are not limited to, at least one of a NFV resource manager  850 , a network functions virtualization infrastructure (“NFVI”) system  855 , a NFV orchestrator  860 , a NFV management and orchestration (“MANO”) system  865 , a VNF manager  870 , a virtualized infrastructure manager (“VIM”)  875 , and/or other NFV entities  880 , and/or the like. In some cases, the other NFV entities  880  might include, without limitation, a virtual machine (“VM”), a macro orchestrator, or a domain orchestrator, and/or the like. As shown in  FIG. 8A , multiple NFV entities might communicatively couple with each other (as depicted by dash lines  885  interconnecting the NFV resource manager  850 , the NFVI  855 , and the NFV orchestrator  860  in  FIG. 8 ). 
     Although  FIG. 8A  depicts the one or more NFV entity(ies)  850 - 880  as being located in the network  840   a , the various embodiments are not so limited, and the one or more NFV entity(ies)  850 - 880  may be located in a network (such as network  840   a  or the like), located in the gateway device  805 , or distributed between both the network and the gateway device  805 , and/or the like. For example, in some embodiments, the host computing system might host an instantiated network functions virtualization infrastructure (“NFVI”) system. In some instances, the computing system  825  might register with the NFV orchestrator  860  (or other NFV entity) so that its capabilities are known to the NFV orchestrator  860  (or other NFV entity) and/or to the VIM  875 . According to some embodiments, the network switch  810  and the computing system  825  are under control of at least one of the one or more NFV entities and/or the SDN controller  845  (as indicated by the long-dash lines denoted  890  in  FIG. 8A ). For SDN control, the SDN controller  845  might utilize a communications protocol, such as OpenFlow or other protocol, or the like, that gives access to the forwarding plane of a network switch or router over a network. 
     In some instances, at least one of the SFP device, the SFP+ device, or the CSFP device (collectively, “SFPs”) might be used at not only the client side (as described above), but also at the network side, in which case, the SFPs might interface with corresponding ports in the transceiver, to handle communications or data to or from the network  840   a . In some cases, on the network side, the SFPs might terminate a direct fiber or a passive optical network (“PON”), which would be at the physical layer of the network. On the client side, the SFPs can be used to connect the physical layer terminating device to the gateway device. In some embodiments, an SFP can also be used in a similar way as a USB port. 
     Merely by way of example, according to some embodiments, the gateway device  805  might include, without limitation, one of a customer premises equipment (“CPE”), a router, a switch, a network element, a demarcation device, a WiFi gateway device, a hypervisor platform, one or more virtual machine-based host machines, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the one or more virtual machine-based host machines might include, without limitation, a kernel-based virtual machine (“KVM”)-based host machine, an ESX-based host machine, an ESXi-based host machine, and/or the like. In some instances, the CPE might include, but is not limited to, at least one of an optical network terminal (“ONT”), a network interface device (“NID”), an enhanced NID (“eNID”), a residential gateway (“RG”) device, a business gateway (“BG”) device, or a virtual gateway (“vG”) device (which could be a vRG, a vBG, or other virtual gateway, and the like). In such cases, the gateway device might be located at or near a customer premises associated with a user of the client device. The NID, in some instances, might be a fiber-fed terminating device, a copper-fed terminating device, or a combination fiber-fed and copper-fed terminating device, and the like. In some embodiments, the gateway device  805  might be an integrated device that terminates the physical layer access line and the gateway (e.g., RG, BG, vG, etc.) in one container or box. In some cases, the gateway device  805  and/or the one or more computing systems  825  might include, without limitation, a VMware Host (which, in some instances, might comprise a bare metal/plastic host or a compute bus on a node, and the like) or a Linux container (as Linux has the ability to create a “virtual host” or soft host as part of the entire NID operating system). 
     In some cases, the transceiver  815  might comprise a network port (e.g., port  915   a ,  1015   a , or  1115   a , as shown in  FIGS. 9-11 , respectively, or the like). In some embodiments, the network port might include, without limitation, a SFP port to which an ONT SFP or a digital subscriber line (“DSL”) Modem SFP might interface, connect, or couple. In such embodiments, the DSL Modem SFP might terminate the physical DSL technologies (sometimes referred to generally as “xDSL”) line or the like. In other embodiments, the ONT SFP might terminate the physical passive optical network or direct point-to-point technologies. Other types of SFP transceivers might also comprise a specific type of transceivers for, but not limited to, wireless transceivers like LTE transceivers, 5G transceivers, and/or the like, or even cable modem transceivers. In some cases, the network port might include at least one of one or more optical SFP ports to which fiber cables can connect with corresponding optical SFP ports on an external ONT, one or more copper cable-based SFP ports to which copper cables can connect with corresponding copper cable-based SFP ports on the external ONT, one or more RJ-45 ports to which copper RJ-45 cables can connect with corresponding RJ-45 ports on the external ONT, and/or the like. 
     Merely by way of example, in some embodiments, the client ports  820  might each be a very high speed port that can handle traffic from multiple client devices  835 , and in fact has to be fast enough in terms of network speed to handle all traffic from the network port (e.g., network DSL port, PON port, or the like), through the external host computing system  825   b , via the gateway device  805 , and to the client devices  835 , and vice versa. For similar reasons, the host port  830  is, in some embodiments, a very high speed port that handles traffic to and from the external host computing system  825   b.    
     In operation, the network switch  810 , which is disposed within the gateway device  805 , might route network traffic to a host computing system  825 , at least a portion of the network traffic being originally directed to a client device  835  via the network switch  810  and via a corresponding client port  820  among a plurality of client ports  820 . Based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the at least a portion of the network traffic that is directed to the client device  835 , the host computing system  825  selects one or more VNFs. In some embodiments, the NFV orchestrator  860  or other NFV entity  850 - 880  might send the selected one or more VNFs to the host computing system  825 , via the network switch  810 . Alternatively, or additionally, for client devices  835  that are NFV-capable (including, but not limited to, set-top boxes, local Internet of Things (“IoT”) controllers, IoT endpoints, and/or the like), the host computing system  825  might send one or more second VNFs (which might be based on the selected one or more VNFs or might be the same as the selected one or more VNFs) to the client devices  835 —or otherwise provides the client devices  835  with access to the one or more VNFs—via the network switch  810  and corresponding client port  820 . In some cases, the one or more characteristics of the received network traffic might comprise at least one of one or more attributes of an Ethernet frame, one or more media access control (“MAC”) source addresses, one or more MAC destination addresses, one or more Internet Protocol (“IP”) source addresses, one or more IP destination addresses, one or more transmission control protocol (“TCP”) source ports, one or more TCP destination ports, one or more priority bits, one or more particular bit patterns, bandwidth of a flow, one or more switch ports, one or more ingress ports, one or more Ethernet type identifiers, one or more virtual local area network (“VLAN”) identifiers, one or more network protocol identifiers, or one or more action instructions, and/or the like. 
     According to some embodiments, as described above, the network switch  810  and the host computing system  825  are under control of a NFV entity  850 - 880  and/or a SDN controller  845 , which provide network enhanced gateway functionalities to the gateway device, as described herein. The network traffic between the network switch  810  and the host computing system  825 , in some embodiments, is at least one of uni-directional network traffic, bi-directional network traffic, or split directional network traffic that originates from at least one of one or more of the plurality of client ports  820  or one or more network ports (which might couple with the transceiver  815 ). For example, the network traffic might be sent in a uni-directional manner from the network side (i.e., from network  840   a  and received by transceiver  815 ) to the client side (i.e., to the client device(s)  835  via client port  820 ), or vice versa. Alternatively, or additionally, the network traffic might be sent bi-directionally, with some portion of the network traffic flowing from the network side to the client side, and some other portion of the network traffic flowing from the client side to the network side. Alternatively, or additionally, the network traffic might be sent in a split directional manner, in which the network traffic (or a portion thereof) is replicated and directed to more than one destination (where the destination can be at the network side or the client side). The network traffic can originate from either or both of the network side or the client side. In a particular embodiment (or set of embodiments), depending on the VNF being instantiated on the host computing system  825 , the network traffic can be flowing to/from the network  840   a  and/or to/from the gateway device  805 , and/or to/from the client device(s)  835 . For example, a VNF could be a parental control function that blocks certain traffic from coming into the gateway device  805  from the network  840   a . Another VNF may prioritize traffic in either direction. And so on. According to some embodiments, the functions of the network switch  810  can be enabled or disabled by the NFV orchestrator  860  (or other NFV entity). If the functions of the network switch  810  is disabled, the gateway device would function as a traditional or legacy gateway without the ability to run VNFs on the host computing system  825   a  and/or  825   b . In other cases, a subscriber-side configuration portal or similar methods may allow a subscriber to disable the functions of the network switch and to cause the gateway device  805  to function in traditional or legacy mode. Likewise, the subscriber-side configuration portal or similar methods may allow the subscriber to enable the functions of the network switch  810  such that the gateway device  805  is able to run VNFs on the host computing system  825   a  and/or  825   b.    
     Merely by way of example, in some embodiments, a customer can load a VNF onto the host compute platform of the computing system  825  or download the VNF from the network  840   a . Alternatively, or additionally, a customer might be provided with access to the VNFs that may exist in the network that he or she is connected to or even third party networks that the customer may have IP connectivity to. For example, a customer may want filtering to occur in the network before network traffic hits his or her access line, to conserve bandwidth on his or her access line, and then execute a local VNF once the filtered traffic traverses the access line. In certain embodiments, the customer might want to service chain VNFs on the gateway device  805  with other VNFs that exist on the network. Here, “service chain” or “service chaining” might refer to implementing two or more VNFs to perform a particular function. In such embodiments, it may first be determined whether service chaining is required (e.g., if only one VNF is required, no service chaining is necessary) and, if so, the system (e.g., one or more of the NFV entities  850 - 880 ) might determine whether it is possible to service chain two or more VNFs together to provide a single network service—including, without limitation, identifying and locating each individual VNF to provide sub-functionalities of the desired network service, managing the VNFs so that they can be service chained together, and/or the like. Based on a determination that service chaining is required and that two or more VNFs can be service chained together to provide a single network service, the two or more VNFs may be service chained together to provide a single network service. In one non-limiting example, four or five VNFs (regardless of which NFV entity each VNF is provided from) might be service chained together to perform the functions of a network router. In similar fashion, any number of VNFs (from any combination of NFV entities) may be service chained to perform any desired or ordered function. Service chaining and the processes outlined above related to service chaining are described in greater detail in the &#39;208, &#39;280, and &#39;309 applications, which have already been incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     According to some embodiments, as described above, the NFV entity might be located in either the network side (e.g., in network  840   a , as shown in  FIG. 8A ), in the gateway device  805  (not shown in  FIG. 8A ), or both (also not shown in  FIG. 8A ). For instance, a customer might want to control his or her devices directly, in which case, a portal in the network might be provided to the customer to access. This would mean that the request would go to the network where the VNF controller might act upon the request and might configure VNFs that are local to the gateway device  805 . Alternatively, or additionally, the customer might be provided with tools to configure his or her local VNFs directly without having to go through a network portal. In one set of examples, a VNF that is a virtual instantiation of a microprocessor or micro-compute resource (such as a Raspberry PI or other similar compute resource, or the like) might provide such functionality, and can be loaded and/or configured by the customer when not connected to the network. 
     The gateway device  805 , as described above, is capable of operating on its own, with the network switch  810  serving to provide the in-premises connectivity among computing and/or user devices in the customer premises (i.e., with the network switch  810  serving as a LAN switch or the like). In some embodiments, large switch connections (e.g., wide area network (“WAN”)—like connections), uplink type connections, and/or the like, can be added to the network switch  810  to act as a service point on the local device (i.e., the gateway device  805 ). In some cases, the gateway device  805  can be embodied by a set-top box or the like (or a set-top box can be a client device that couples to the gateway device  805  via a client port  820 ), and the large switch connections can feed all client devices  835  that are communicatively coupled to the gateway device  805  (or set-top box) via the client ports  820 , while providing sufficient, ample, or excess bandwidth, or the like. 
       FIG. 8B  is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative system  800 ′ for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, in accordance with various embodiments.  FIGS. 8A and 8B  are collectively referred to as “ FIG. 8 .” The embodiment of  FIG. 8B  is similar or identical to that of  FIG. 8A , except that system  800 ′ of  FIG. 8B  further comprises one or more third party networks  840   c , which is communicatively coupled to one or both of network  840   a  and the Internet  840   b . Each of the one or more third party networks  840   c  is associated with (i.e., controlled, operated, or owned by) a third party service provider that is different or separate from the service provider associated with the network  840   a . In some embodiments, at least one third party network  840   a  might replicate, host, or instantiate content (i.e., data content, media content, VNFs, etc.) that are provided by either network  840   a  and/or the Internet  840   b . In this manner, the network enhanced gateway device  805  may be serviced (in accordance with the embodiments as described above with respect to  FIG. 8  and/or the embodiments as described below with respect to  FIGS. 9-12 ) by network services that can be instantiated on either a private cloud or a public cloud by either the service provider associated with network  840   a  or a third party service provider associated with at least one of the third party networks  840   c . In other words, a customer can subscribe to services offered by either the service provider associated with the network  840   a  or one or more third party service providers associated with the third party network  840   c , or both. Network traffic can be separated between the multiple networks  840  via virtual private networks (“VPNs”) or other network routing mechanisms. In some instances, at least one of the third party networks  840   c  might be geographically separate from the network  840   a  (e.g., in a different part of the same country, in different countries in the same continent, or in different countries in different continents, etc.). In such cases, the third party networks  840   c  might allow functionalities of the network  840   a  (particularly, with respect to implementation of network enhanced gateway functionality) to be made portable should a customer choose to bring his or her network enhanced gateway device abroad, for example. 
     The embodiment of system  800 ′ of  FIG. 8B  would otherwise function in a similar, if not identical, manner as that of system  800  of  FIG. 8A , the descriptions of the various components and functionalities of system  800  would be applicable to the descriptions of the various components and functionalities of system  800 ′ of  FIG. 8B . 
       FIGS. 9-11  depict various embodiments of systems for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality.  FIG. 9  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system  900  for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, in accordance with various embodiments. In some embodiments, system  900  might provide static host connectivity.  FIG. 10  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system  1000  for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, in accordance with various embodiments. In some embodiments, system  1000  might be service-chaining-host-capable.  FIG. 11  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system  1100  for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, in accordance with various embodiments. In some embodiments, system  1100 , as configured, may be used to provide network enhanced gateway functionality, while allowing for flexible implementation, and thus, in some cases, may be implemented by service providers as a “standard” type of node or platform. 
     Turning to  FIG. 9 , system  900 , according to some embodiments, might comprise gateway device  905 , which comprises network switch  910 , transceiver  915 , a plurality of client ports  920 , one or more computing systems  925   a , a host port(s)  930  communicatively coupled to one or more external computing systems  925   b , and a routing/network access translation (“NAT”) device  995 , and/or the like. The network switch  910 , in some embodiments, might comprise a network-to-network interface (“NNI”) or NNI LAN  910   a , a user network interface (“UNI”) or UNI LAN  910   b , and a dynamic host configuration protocol (“DHCP”) device  910   c . In some cases, the network switch  910 , as well as each of the NNI or NNI LAN  910   a , the UNI or UNI LAN  910   b , and the DHCP  910   c , might be virtual components that utilize VNFs or the like to provide the network switch functionality, as well as the NNI or NNI LAN functionality, the UNI or UNI LAN functionality, and the DHCP functionality. 
     In some embodiments, the transceiver  915  might comprise a network port  915   a , which (as described above) might provide physical port connections. In some cases, the transceiver  915  might be a virtual component that utilizes VNFs or the like to provide transceiver functionality. The plurality of client ports, in some instances, might comprise at least one of one or more LAN ports  920   a , one or more Wi-Fi ports  920   b , one or more port controllers  920   c , one or more advanced technology attachment (“ATA”) ports  920   d , one or more universal serial bus (“USB”) ports  920   e , and/or the like. In some cases, the one or more ATA ports  920   d  might each include, without limitation, a serial ATA (“SATA”) port, an external SATA (“eSATA”) port, a powered eSATA (“eSATAp”) port, a mini SATA (“mSATA”) port, a SATA Express port, and/or the like. The port controller  920   c , in some embodiments, might control the ATA ports  920   d  and the USB ports  920   e , and/or might otherwise serve as an interface between the UNI  910   b  of the network switch  910  and each of the ATA ports  920   d  and the USB ports  920   e.    
     System  900  might further comprise one or more client devices  935   a - 935   n  (collectively, “client devices  935 ”), which each communicatively couples to one of the client ports  920 . The network port  915   a  communicatively couples with network  940 , receives network traffic from the network  940  to the gateway device  905  (and ultimately to the client device(s)  935 ), and sends network traffic to the network  940  from the gateway device  905  (and originally from the client device(s)  935 ). 
     In some embodiments, each of the one or more computing systems  925   a  and/or the one or more external computing systems  925   b  (collectively, “host computing systems  925 ”) might be controlled by one or both of SDN controller(s)  945  and/or one or more NFV entities  950  (denoted by long dash lines  990  connecting the SDN controller(s)  945  with each host computing system  925  and also connecting the one or more NFV entities  950  with each host computing system  925 ). 
     In operation, network traffic from the network  940  might be received by transceiver  915  via network port  915   a . Transceiver  915  might communicate with the NNI or NNI LAN  910   a  of the network switch via the routing/NAT device  995  (which might be a virtual routing/NAT component that utilizes VNFs to provide routing/NAT functionality) (as depicted by the bold double-headed solid arrows in  FIG. 9 ). The routing/NAT function/device  995  might communicate with the computing system  925   a  (as depicted by the bold, double-headed short dash arrow in  FIG. 9 ) to route network traffic from the transceiver to the NNI or NNI LAN  910   a  of the network switch  925   a , through the network switch  910 , via the UNI or UNI LAN  910   b  and via one or more of the plurality of client ports, to corresponding one or more client devices  935  (as depicted by the bold, single-headed dash arrows in  FIG. 9 ). Alternatively or additionally, the network traffic might be routed from the transceiver  915 , through the routing/NAT function/device  995 , via the NNI or NNI LAN  910   a  and via host port  930 , to the one or more external computing systems  925   b , back from the one or more external computing systems  925   b  to the NNI or NNI LAN  910   a , through the network switch  910 , via the UNI or UNI LAN  910   b  and via one or more of the plurality of client ports, to corresponding one or more client devices  935  (as depicted by the bold, single-headed dash arrows in  FIG. 9 ). Although  FIG. 9  shows a single direction (particularly, from the transceiver  915  to the computing system  925   a  to the NNI or NNI LAN  910   a ), the various embodiments are not so limited, and network traffic may flow uni-directionally from/to the network  940  to/from the client device(s)  935  via the network switch  910  and other components, bi-directionally from/to the network  940  to/from the client device(s)  935  via the network switch  910  and other components, and split-directionally from/to the network  940  to/from the client device(s)  935  via the network switch  910  and other components, and/or the like (as described above with respect to  FIG. 8 ). 
     According to some embodiments, when a host computing system (or a host port) is added to the gateway device, the host can be handed over to a NFV Orchestrator (“NFVO”) or other NFV entity for VNF life cycle management and/or for service management. In such a case, the “network configuration” of the gateway device might not pass to the NFVO or other NFV entity. Only the host is passed to the NFVO or other NFV entity, in which case its configuration may be limited in terms of changing the service path (i.e., NFV forwarding graph flexibility may be limited), resulting in a “host-on-a-stick” configuration. 
     In  FIG. 9 , gateway device  905 , network switch  910 , transceiver  915 , client ports  920 , computing system(s)  925   a , computing system(s)  925   b , host port  930 , client device(s)  935 , network  940 , SDN controller(s)  945 , NVF entities  950  of system  900  might correspond to (and are otherwise similar, if not identical, to) gateway device  805 , network switch  810 , transceiver  815 , client ports  820 , computing system(s)  815   a , computing system(s)  815   b , host port  830 , client device(s)  835 , network  840   a ,  840   b , and/or  840   c , SDN controller(s)  845 , NVF entities  850  or system  800 , respectively, and the descriptions of these components of system  800  similarly apply to the corresponding components of system  900 . The operation of system  900  is otherwise similar, if not identical, to that of system  800 , as described in detail above. 
     With reference to  FIG. 10 , system  1000 , according to some embodiments, might comprise gateway device  1005 , which comprises network switch  1010 , transceiver  1015 , a plurality of client ports  1020 , one or more computing systems  1025   a , a host port(s)  1030  communicatively coupled to one or more external computing systems  1025   b , and a routing/network access translation (“NAT”) device  1095 , and/or the like. The network switch  1010 , in some embodiments, might comprise a network-to-network interface (“NNI”) or NNI LAN  1010   a , a user network interface (“UNI”) or UNI LAN  1010   b , and a dynamic host configuration protocol (“DHCP”) device  1010   c . In some cases, the network switch  1010 , as well as each of the NNI or NNI LAN  1010   a , the UNI or UNI LAN  1010   b , and the DHCP  1010   c , might be virtual components that utilize VNFs or the like to provide the network switch functionality, as well as the NNI or NNI LAN functionality, the UNI or UNI LAN functionality, and the DHCP functionality. 
     In some embodiments, the transceiver  1015  might comprise a network port  1015   a , which (as described above) might provide physical port connections. In some cases, the transceiver  1015  might be a virtual component that utilizes VNFs or the like to provide transceiver functionality. The plurality of client ports, in some instances, might comprise at least one of one or more LAN ports  1020   a , one or more Wi-Fi ports  1020   b , one or more port controllers  1020   c , one or more advanced technology attachment (“ATA”) ports  1020   d , one or more universal serial bus (“USB”) ports  1020   e , and/or the like. In some cases, the one or more ATA ports  1020   d  might each include, without limitation, a serial ATA (“SATA”) port, an external SATA (“eSATA”) port, a powered eSATA (“eSATAp”) port, a mini SATA (“mSATA”) port, a SATA Express port, and/or the like. The port controller  1020   c , in some embodiments, might control the ATA ports  1020   d  and the USB ports  1020   e , and/or might otherwise serve as an interface between the UNI  1010   b  of the network switch  1010  and each of the ATA ports  1020   d  and the USB ports  1020   e.    
     System  1000  might further comprise one or more client devices  1035   a - 1035   n  (collectively, “client devices  1035 ”), which each communicatively couples to one of the client ports  1020 . The network port  1015   a  communicatively couples with network  1040 , receives network traffic from the network  1040  to the gateway device  1005  (and ultimately to the client device(s)  1035 ), and sends network traffic to the network  1040  from the gateway device  1005  (and originally from the client device(s)  1035 ). 
     In some embodiments, each of the one or more computing systems  1025   a , the one or more external computing systems  1025   b  (collectively, “host computing systems  1025 ”), and/or the network switch  1010  might be controlled by one or both of SDN controller(s)  1045  and/or one or more NFV entities  1050  (denoted by long dash lines  1090  connecting the SDN controller(s)  1045  with each host computing system  1025  and the network switch  1010 , and also connecting the one or more NFV entities  1050  with each host computing system  1025  and the network switch  1010 ). 
     In operation, network traffic from the network  1040  might be received by transceiver  1015  via network port  1015   a . Transceiver  1015  might communicate with the NNI or NNI LAN  1010   a  of the network switch via the routing/NAT device  1095  (which might be a virtual routing/NAT component that utilizes VNFs to provide routing/NAT functionality) (as depicted by the bold double-headed solid arrows in  FIG. 10 ). Unlike the routing/NAT function/device  995  of  FIG. 9 , the routing/NAT function/device  1095  does not directly communicate with the computing system  1025   a . Rather, the routing/NAT function/device  1095  communicates with the computing system(s)  1025   a  via the NNI or NNI LAN  1010   a  (as depicted by the bold, double-headed short dash arrow in  FIG. 10 ) to route network traffic from the transceiver to the NNI or NNI LAN  1010   a , to one or both of the one or more computing systems  1025   a  and/or the one or more external computing systems  1025   b  (via host port  1030 ) (as depicted by the bold, single-headed dash arrows in  FIG. 10 ) through the network switch  1010 , via the UNI or UNI LAN  1010   b  and via one or more of the plurality of client ports, to corresponding one or more client devices  1035 . Although  FIG. 10  shows a single direction (particularly, from the transceiver  1015  to the NNI or NNI LAN  1010   a ), the various embodiments are not so limited, and network traffic may flow uni-directionally from/to the network  1040  to/from the client device(s)  1035  via the network switch  1010  and other components, bi-directionally from/to the network  1040  to/from the client device(s)  1035  via the network switch  1010  and other components, and split-directionally from/to the network  1040  to/from the client device(s)  1035  via the network switch  1010  and other components, and/or the like (as described above with respect to  FIG. 8 ). 
     According to some embodiments, the system  1000  might provide a platform that is fully flexible and map-able. For example, in some embodiments, a top of rack (“TOR”) and/or an end of row (“EOR”) switch might be added to the orchestration. In some cases, once the node is “handed over” from the network configuration system to the orchestrator with some default configuration that allows the customer to start up, the NFVO or other NFV entity might take full control of the node to map both the WAN and the LAN side connections to the VNF manager in both serial and parallel connectivity functions, thereby providing full NFV service management. 
     In  FIG. 10 , gateway device  1005 , network switch  1010 , transceiver  1015 , client ports  1020 , computing system(s)  1025   a , computing system(s)  1025   b , host port  1030 , client device(s)  1035 , network  1040 , SDN controller(s)  1045 , NVF entities  1050  of system  1000  might correspond to (and are otherwise similar, if not identical, to) gateway device  805 , network switch  810 , transceiver  815 , client ports  820 , computing system(s)  815   a , computing system(s)  815   b , host port  830 , client device(s)  835 , network  840   a ,  840   b , and/or  840   c , SDN controller(s)  845 , NVF entities  850  or system  800 , respectively, and the descriptions of these components of system  800  similarly apply to the corresponding components of system  1000 . The operation of system  1000  is otherwise similar, if not identical, to that of system  800 , as described in detail above. 
     With reference to  FIG. 11 , system  1100 , according to some embodiments, might comprise gateway device  1105 , which comprises network switch  1110 , transceiver  1115 , a plurality of client ports  1120 , one or more computing systems  1125   a , a host port(s)  1130  communicatively coupled to one or more external computing systems  1125   b , and/or the like. The network switch  1110 , in some embodiments, might comprise a network-to-network interface (“NNI”) or NNI LAN  1110   a , a user network interface (“UNI”) or UNI LAN  1110   b , and a dynamic host configuration protocol (“DHCP”) device  1110   c . In some cases, the network switch  1110 , as well as each of the NNI or NNI LAN  1110   a , the UNI or UNI LAN  1110   b , and the DHCP  1110   c , might be virtual components that utilize VNFs or the like to provide the network switch functionality, as well as the NNI or NNI LAN functionality, the UNI or UNI LAN functionality, and the DHCP functionality. 
     In some embodiments, the transceiver  1115  might comprise a network port  1115   a , which (as described above) might provide physical port connections. In some cases, the transceiver  1115  might be a virtual component that utilizes VNFs or the like to provide transceiver functionality. The plurality of client ports, in some instances, might comprise at least one of one or more LAN ports  1120   a , one or more Wi-Fi ports  1120   b , one or more port controllers  1120   c , one or more advanced technology attachment (“ATA”) ports  1120   d , one or more universal serial bus (“USB”) ports  1120   e , and/or the like. In some cases, the one or more ATA ports  1120   d  might each include, without limitation, a serial ATA (“SATA”) port, an external SATA (“eSATA”) port, a powered eSATA (“eSATAp”) port, a mini SATA (“mSATA”) port, a SATA Express port, and/or the like. The port controller  1120   c , in some embodiments, might control the ATA ports  1120   d  and the USB ports  1120   e , and/or might otherwise serve as an interface between the UNI  1110   b  of the network switch  1110  and each of the ATA ports  1120   d  and the USB ports  1120   e.    
     System  1100  might further comprise one or more client devices  1135   a - 1135   n  (collectively, “client devices  1135 ”), which each communicatively couples to one of the client ports  1120 . The network port  1115   a  communicatively couples with network  1140 , receives network traffic from the network  1140  to the gateway device  1105  (and ultimately to the client device(s)  1135 ), and sends network traffic to the network  1140  from the gateway device  1105  (and originally from the client device(s)  1135 ). 
     In some embodiments, each of the one or more computing systems  1125   a , the one or more external computing systems  1125   b  (collectively, “host computing systems  1125 ”), and/or the network switch  1110  might be controlled by one or both of SDN controller(s)  1145  and/or one or more NFV entities  1150  (denoted by long dash lines  1190  connecting the SDN controller(s)  1145  with each host computing system  1125  and the network switch  1110 , and also connecting the one or more NFV entities  1150  with each host computing system  1125  and the network switch  1110 ). 
     In operation, network traffic from the network  1140  might be received by transceiver  1115  via network port  1115   a . In system  1100  of  FIG. 11 , the routing/NAT function/device  995  and  1095  of systems  900  and  1000 , respectively, are incorporated within the network switch  1110  and/or the NNI or NNI LAN  1110   a , thereby streamlining network traffic routing. Thus, unlike systems  900  and  1000 , transceiver  1115  might communicate with the NNI or NNI LAN  1110   a  of the network switch directly (as depicted by the bold, solid double-headed arrow in  FIG. 11 ) to route network traffic from the transceiver to the NNI or NNI LAN  1110   a , to one or both of the one or more computing systems  1125   a  and/or the one or more external computing systems  1125   b  (via host port  1130 ) (as depicted by the bold, single-headed dash arrows in  FIG. 11 ) through the network switch  1110 , via the UNI or UNI LAN  1110   b  and via one or more of the plurality of client ports, to corresponding one or more client devices  1135 . In some cases, the NNI or NNI LAN  1110   a  might communicate with the computing system(s)  1125   a  to perform the routing function (as depicted by the bold, double-headed short dash arrow in  FIG. 11 ). Although  FIG. 11  shows a single direction (particularly, from the transceiver  1115  to the NNI or NNI LAN  1110   a ), the various embodiments are not so limited, and network traffic may flow uni-directionally from/to the network  1140  to/from the client device(s)  1135  via the network switch  1110  and other components, bi-directionally from/to the network  1140  to/from the client device(s)  1135  via the network switch  1110  and other components, and split-directionally from/to the network  1140  to/from the client device(s)  1135  via the network switch  1110  and other components, and/or the like (as described above with respect to  FIG. 8 ). 
     According to some embodiments, as described above, system  1100 , as configured, may be used to provide network enhanced gateway functionality, while allowing for flexible implementation, and thus, in some cases, may be implemented by service providers as a “standard” type of node or platform. In some embodiments, SDN controller(s)  1145  and/or the NFV entities  1150  might control the network switch  1110  to route network traffic to/from transceiver  1115  (from network  1140  via network port  1115   a ), via NNI or NNI LAN  1110   a  and one or both of the one or more computing systems  1125   a  and/or the one or more external computing systems  1125   b  (via host port  1130 ), to/from at least one of the plurality of client devices  1135  (via UNI or UNI LAN  1110   b  and via corresponding at least one client port  1120 ). In some cases, for at least the portion of the network traffic being directed to the client device(s)  1135 , based on the characteristics of the at least the portion of the network traffic—including, but not limited to, at least one of one or more attributes of an Ethernet frame, one or more media access control (“MAC”) source addresses, one or more MAC destination addresses, one or more Internet Protocol (“IP”) source addresses, one or more IP destination addresses, one or more transmission control protocol (“TCP”) source ports, one or more TCP destination ports, one or more priority bits, one or more particular bit patterns, bandwidth of a flow, one or more switch ports, one or more ingress ports, one or more Ethernet type identifiers, one or more virtual local area network (“VLAN”) identifiers, one or more network protocol identifiers, or one or more action instructions, and/or the like—, the SDN controller(s)  1145  and/or the NFV entities  1150  might control the host computing system(s)  1125   a  and/or  1125   b  to select one or more VNFs, and to send the selected VNFs to the host computing system(s)  1125   a  and/or  1125   b  via the network switch  1110 , to the particular client device(s)  1135  via the network switch  1110  (and via the UNI or UNI LAN  1110   b  and the corresponding client port(s)  1120 ), or both, or to otherwise provide the host computing system(s)  1125   a  and/or  1125   b  and/or the particular client device(s)  1135  with access to the selected VNFs. In some instances, the selected VNFs might be selected and sent to the network switch  1110  (or access to the selected VNFs might otherwise be provided to the network switch  1110 ). The selected VNFs might provide the particular client device(s)  1125  (and/or or other component, including, but not limited to, the network switch  1110 , the one or more computing systems  1125 , the transceiver  1115 , the host port  1130 , the client port(s)  1120 , and/or the like) with one or more functions. In some embodiments, the one or more functions might include, without limitation, at least one of an activation function, an operation function, a deletion function, a specialized function, a firewall function, an Internet of Things (“IoT”) proxy function, an application-related function, or an operations, administration, and management (“OAM”) function, and/or the like. In some cases, the specialized function might itself be a VNF. 
     In  FIG. 11 , gateway device  1105 , network switch  1110 , transceiver  1115 , client ports  1120 , computing system(s)  1125   a , computing system(s)  1125   b , host port  1130 , client device(s)  1135 , network  1140 , SDN controller(s)  1145 , NVF entities  1150  of system  1100  might correspond to (and are otherwise similar, if not identical, to) gateway device  805 , network switch  810 , transceiver  815 , client ports  820 , computing system(s)  815   a , computing system(s)  815   b , host port  830 , client device(s)  835 , network  840   a ,  840   b , and/or  840   c , SDN controller(s)  845 , NVF entities  850  or system  800 , respectively, and the descriptions of these components of system  800  similarly apply to the corresponding components of system  1100 . The operation of system  1100  is otherwise similar, if not identical, to that of system  800 , as described in detail above. 
       FIG. 12  is a flow diagram illustrating a method  1200  for implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, in accordance with various embodiments. While the techniques and procedures are depicted and/or described in a certain order for purposes of illustration, it should be appreciated that certain procedures may be reordered and/or omitted within the scope of various embodiments. Moreover, while the method  1200  illustrated by  FIG. 12  can be implemented by or with (and, in some cases, are described below with respect to) the systems  800 ,  900 ,  1000 , and  1100  of  FIGS. 8, 9, 10 , and  11 , respectively (or components thereof), such methods may also be implemented using any suitable hardware (or software) implementation. Similarly, while each of the systems  800 ,  900 ,  1000 , and  1100  of  FIGS. 8, 9, 10, and 11 , respectively (or components thereof), can operate according to the method  1200  illustrated by  FIG. 12  (e.g., by executing instructions embodied on a computer readable medium), the systems  800 ,  900 ,  1000 , and  1100  of  FIGS. 8, 9, 10, and 11  can each also operate according to other modes of operation and/or perform other suitable procedures. 
     In  FIG. 12 , method  1200 , at block  1205  might comprise receiving, with a network switch (e.g., network switch  810 ,  910 ,  1010 , and/or  1110  of  FIGS. 8-11 , or the like), network traffic. At least a portion of the network traffic might be (originally) directed to a client device (e.g., client device  835 ,  935 ,  1035 , and/or  1135  of  FIGS. 8-11 , or the like) via the network switch and corresponding client port among a plurality of client ports (e.g., client port  820 ,  920 ,  1020 , and/or  1120  of  FIGS. 8-11 , or the like). In some cases, the client device might comprise a user device including, without limitation, one of a tablet computer, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a portable gaming device, a laptop computer, or a desktop computer, and/or the like. Alternatively, the client device might include, but is not limited to, a device selected from a group consisting of a small form factor pluggable (“SFP”) device, an enhanced SFP (“SFP+”) device, a compact SFP (“CSFP”) device, a gigabit interface converter (“GBIC”), and a universal serial bus (“USB”) pluggable device, and/or the like. In some cases, at least one of the SFP device, the SFP+ device, or the CSFP device might include, without limitation, at least one of a SFP network interface device (“NID”), a SFP router, a SFP modem, or a SFP wireless access point. The USB pluggable device, in some instances, might include, but is not limited to, one of a printer, a scanner, a combination printer/scanner device, an external hard drive, a camera, a keyboard, a mouse, a drawing interface device, or a mobile device, and/or the like. 
     In some embodiments, each of the client ports might include, without limitation, one of a local area network (“LAN”) port, a Wi-Fi port, an advanced technology attachment (“ATA”) port, a serial ATA (“SATA”) port, an external SATA (“eSATA”) port, a powered eSATA (“eSATAp”) port, a mini SATA (“mSATA”) port, a SATA Express port, a M.2 port, or a universal serial bus (“USB”) port, and/or the like. The network traffic between the network switch and the host computing system, in some embodiments, is at least one of uni-directional network traffic, bi-directional network traffic, or split directional network traffic that originates from at least one of one or more of the plurality of client ports or one or more network ports. In some instances, the network switch is a virtual network switch that utilizes a network switch VNF to provide network switching functionality. In some cases, the network switch might include at least one NNI or NNI LAN and at least one UNI or UNI LAN (e.g., NNI or NNI LAN  910   a ,  1010   a , and  1110   a  of  FIGS. 9-11 , respectively, and UNI or UNI LAN  910   b ,  1010   b , and  1110   b  of  FIGS. 9-11 , respectively), the NNI or NNI or NNI LAN receiving the network traffic and communicatively coupling with the host computing system, while the UNI or UNI or UNI LAN communicatively coupling with the client device via the corresponding client port of the plurality of client ports. 
     At block  1210 , method  1200  might comprise routing, with the network switch, the network traffic to a host computing system. In some embodiments, the network switch and the host computing system are under control of a network functions virtualization (“NFV”) entity, which might include, without limitation, at least one of a NFV orchestrator, a network functions virtualization infrastructure (“NFVI”) system, a NFV management and orchestration (“MANO”) system, a VNF manager, a NFV resource manager, a virtualized infrastructure manager (“VIM”), a virtual machine (“VM”), a macro orchestrator, or a domain orchestrator, and/or the like. In some cases, the host computing system and the network switch might be disposed within a single gateway device. Alternatively, the host computing system might be located external to a gateway device in which the network switch is disposed, the gateway device comprises a host port, and the host computing system communicatively couples to the network switch via the host port. In other alternative embodiments, one or more first host computing systems might be co-located with the network switch within the single gateway device, while one or more second host computing systems might be located external to the single gateway device and might communicatively couple to the network switch via the host port. 
     Merely by way of example, the host computing system might include, without limitation, an x86 host computing device, an ARM computing device, or both. In some embodiments, the host computing system might include, but is not limited to, one or more computing cores (preferably, two or more computing cores). In some cases, at least one first computing core might perform functions of a gateway device, while at least one second computing core might perform hypervisor functions to support VNFs. 
     According to some embodiments, the gateway device, in which the switch is disposed, might be selected from a group consisting of a customer premises equipment (“CPE”), a router, a switch, a network element, a demarcation device, a WiFi gateway device, a hypervisor platform, and one or more virtual machine-based host machines (which might include, without limitation, a kernel-based virtual machine (“KVM”)-based host machine, an ESX-based host machine, an ESXi-based host machine, and/or the like), and/or the like. In some cases, the CPE might include, but is not limited to, one of a gateway device comprising at least one of an optical network terminal (“ONT”), a network interface device (“NID”), an enhanced NID (“eNID”), a residential gateway (“RG”) device, a business gateway (“BG”) device, or a virtual gateway (“vG”) device, and/or the like, and the gateway device might be located at or near a customer premises associated with a user of the client device. The NID, in some instances, might be a fiber-fed terminating device, a copper-fed terminating device, or a combination fiber-fed and copper-fed terminating device, and the like. In some embodiments, the gateway device  805  might be an integrated device that terminates the physical layer access line and the gateway (e.g., RG, BG, vG, etc.) in one container or box. In some cases, the gateway device  805  and/or the one or more computing systems  825  might include, without limitation, a VMware Host (which, in some instances, might comprise a bare metal/plastic host or a compute bus on a node, and the like) or a Linux container (as Linux has the ability to create a “virtual host” or soft host as part of the entire NID operating system). 
     Method  1200  might further comprise, at block  1215 , selecting, with the host computing system, one or more virtual network functions (“VNFs”), based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the received network traffic. According to some embodiments, the one or more characteristics of the received network traffic might include, but are not limited to, at least one of one or more attributes of an Ethernet frame, one or more media access control (“MAC”) source addresses, one or more MAC destination addresses, one or more Internet Protocol (“IP”) source addresses, one or more IP destination addresses, one or more transmission control protocol (“TCP”) source ports, one or more TCP destination ports, one or more priority bits, one or more particular bit patterns, bandwidth of a flow, one or more switch ports, one or more ingress ports, one or more Ethernet type identifiers, one or more virtual local area network (“VLAN”) identifiers, one or more network protocol identifiers, or one or more action instructions, and/or the like. In some cases, the one or more VNFs might provide the client device (or other component, including, but not limited to, the network switch, the one or more computing systems, the transceiver, the host port, the client port(s), and/or the like) with one or more functions, the one or more functions including, without limitation, at least one of an activation function, an operation function, a deletion function, a specialized function, a firewall function, an Internet of Things (“IoT”) proxy function, an application-related function, or an operations, administration, and management (“OAM”) function, and/or the like. At block  1220 , method  1200  might comprise sending the one or more VNFs to the host computing system, in some cases, based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the received network traffic. 
     In some embodiments, selecting the one or more VNFs might comprise selecting, with the host computing system, at least one VNF of the one or more VNFs, based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the at least a portion of the network traffic that is directed to the client device (optional block  1225 ). At optional block  1230 , method  1200  might further comprise sending, with the host computing system and via the network switch and the corresponding client port, the selected at least one VNF to the client device (e.g., a VNF-capable device, including, but not limited to, a set-top box, a local IoT controller, an IoT endpoint, and/or the like). According to some embodiments, sending, with the host computing system and via the network switch and the corresponding client port, the selected at least one VNF to the client device might comprise bursting, using an application programming interface (“API”), the at least one VNF from the NFV entity to the client device (optional block  1235 ). In some embodiments, sending, with the host computing system and via the network switch and the corresponding client port, the selected at least one VNF to the client device might comprise otherwise providing the client device with access to the selected at least one VNF. 
     Exemplary System and Hardware Implementation 
       FIG. 13  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer or system hardware architecture, in accordance with various embodiments.  FIG. 13  provides a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a computer system  1300  of the service provider system hardware that can perform the methods provided by various other embodiments, as described herein, and/or can perform the functions of computer or hardware system (i.e., gateway devices  110 ,  205 ,  310 ,  805 ,  905 ,  1005 , and  1105 , network interface devices (“NIDs”)  115  and  315 , programmable services backbone (“PSB”) node  130 , digital subscriber line access multiplexers (“DSLAMs”) or optical line terminals (“OLTs”)  135  and  335 , software defined network (“SDN”) controllers  145 ,  845 ,  945 ,  1045 , and  1145 , network functions virtualization (“NFV”) entities (including, but not limited to, NFV resource manager  850 , NFV Infrastructure (“NFVI”) system  855 , NFV orchestrator  860 , NFV management and orchestration (“MANO”) architectural framework or system  865 , virtual network function (“VNF”) manager  870 , virtual infrastructure manager (“VIM”)  875 , other NFV entities  880 , NFV entities  150 ,  950 ,  1050 , and  1150 , and/or the like), application service provider (“ASP”) servers  155  and  355 , service portals  160  and  360 , network nodes  225  and  415 , edge switches  370 , Vp gateway devices  405 , Vn gateway devices or containers  410 , switches  810 ,  910 ,  1010 , and  1110 , computing systems  825 ,  925 ,  1025 , and  1125 , and client devices  835 ,  935 ,  1035 , and  1135 , etc.), as described above. It should be noted that  FIG. 13  is meant only to provide a generalized illustration of various components, of which one or more (or none) of each may be utilized as appropriate.  FIG. 13 , therefore, broadly illustrates how individual system elements may be implemented in a relatively separated or relatively more integrated manner. 
     The computer or hardware system  1300 —which might represent an embodiment of the computer or hardware system (i.e., gateway devices  110 ,  205 ,  310 ,  805 ,  905 ,  1005 , and  1105 , NIDs  115  and  315 , PSB node  130 , DSLAMs/OLTs  135  and  335 , SDN controllers  145 ,  845 ,  945 ,  1045 , and  1145 , NFV entities (including, but not limited to, NFV resource manager  850 , NFVI system  855 , NFV orchestrator  860 , NFV MANO architectural framework or system  865 , VNF manager  870 , VIM  875 , other NFV entities  880 , NFV entities  150 ,  950 ,  1050 , and  1150 , and/or the like), ASP servers  155  and  355 , service portals  160  and  360 , network nodes  225  and  415 , edge switches  370 , Vp gateway devices  405 , Vn gateway devices or containers  410 , switches  810 ,  910 ,  1010 , and  1110 , computing systems  825 ,  925 ,  1025 , and  1125 , and client devices  835 ,  935 ,  1035 , and  1135 , etc.), described above with respect to  FIGS. 8-11 —is shown comprising hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via a bus  1305  (or may otherwise be in communication, as appropriate). The hardware elements may include one or more processors  1310 , including, without limitation, one or more general-purpose processors and/or one or more special-purpose processors (such as microprocessors, digital signal processing chips, graphics acceleration processors, and/or the like); one or more input devices  1315 , which can include, without limitation, a mouse, a keyboard, and/or the like; and one or more output devices  1320 , which can include, without limitation, a display device, a printer, and/or the like. 
     The computer or hardware system  1300  may further include (and/or be in communication with) one or more storage devices  1325 , which can comprise, without limitation, local and/or network accessible storage, and/or can include, without limitation, a disk drive, a drive array, an optical storage device, solid-state storage device such as a random access memory (“RAM”) and/or a read-only memory (“ROM”), which can be programmable, flash-updateable, and/or the like. Such storage devices may be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, including, without limitation, various file systems, database structures, and/or the like. 
     The computer or hardware system  1300  might also include a communications subsystem  1330 , which can include, without limitation, a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infra-red communication device, a wireless communication device and/or chipset (such as a Bluetooth™ device, an 802.11 device, a WiFi device, a WiMax device, a WWAN device, cellular communication facilities, etc.), and/or the like. The communications subsystem  1330  may permit data to be exchanged with a network (such as the network described below, to name one example), with other computer or hardware systems, and/or with any other devices described herein. In many embodiments, the computer or hardware system  1300  will further comprise a working memory  1335 , which can include a RAM or ROM device, as described above. 
     The computer or hardware system  1300  also may comprise software elements, shown as being currently located within the working memory  1335 , including an operating system  1340 , device drivers, executable libraries, and/or other code, such as one or more application programs  1345 , which may comprise computer programs provided by various embodiments (including, without limitation, hypervisors, VMs, and the like), and/or may be designed to implement methods, and/or configure systems, provided by other embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, one or more procedures described with respect to the method(s) discussed above might be implemented as code and/or instructions executable by a computer (and/or a processor within a computer); in an aspect, then, such code and/or instructions can be used to configure and/or adapt a general purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods. 
     A set of these instructions and/or code might be encoded and/or stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, such as the storage device(s)  1325  described above. In some cases, the storage medium might be incorporated within a computer system, such as the system  1300 . In other embodiments, the storage medium might be separate from a computer system (i.e., a removable medium, such as a compact disc, etc.), and/or provided in an installation package, such that the storage medium can be used to program, configure, and/or adapt a general purpose computer with the instructions/code stored thereon. These instructions might take the form of executable code, which is executable by the computer or hardware system  1300  and/or might take the form of source and/or installable code, which, upon compilation and/or installation on the computer or hardware system  1300  (e.g., using any of a variety of generally available compilers, installation programs, compression/decompression utilities, etc.) then takes the form of executable code. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial variations may be made in accordance with specific requirements. For example, customized hardware (such as programmable logic controllers, field-programmable gate arrays, application-specific integrated circuits, and/or the like) might also be used, and/or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, such as applets, etc.), or both. Further, connection to other computing devices such as network input/output devices may be employed. 
     As mentioned above, in one aspect, some embodiments may employ a computer or hardware system (such as the computer or hardware system  1300 ) to perform methods in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. According to a set of embodiments, some or all of the procedures of such methods are performed by the computer or hardware system  1300  in response to processor  1310  executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions (which might be incorporated into the operating system  1340  and/or other code, such as an application program  1345 ) contained in the working memory  1335 . Such instructions may be read into the working memory  1335  from another computer readable medium, such as one or more of the storage device(s)  1325 . Merely by way of example, execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the working memory  1335  might cause the processor(s)  1310  to perform one or more procedures of the methods described herein. 
     The terms “machine readable medium” and “computer readable medium,” as used herein, refer to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific fashion. In an embodiment implemented using the computer or hardware system  1300 , various computer readable media might be involved in providing instructions/code to processor(s)  1310  for execution and/or might be used to store and/or carry such instructions/code (e.g., as signals). In many implementations, a computer readable medium is a non-transitory, physical, and/or tangible storage medium. In some embodiments, a computer readable medium may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, or the like. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical and/or magnetic disks, such as the storage device(s)  1325 . Volatile media includes, without limitation, dynamic memory, such as the working memory  1335 . In some alternative embodiments, a computer readable medium may take the form of transmission media, which includes, without limitation, coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise the bus  1305 , as well as the various components of the communication subsystem  1330  (and/or the media by which the communications subsystem  1330  provides communication with other devices). In an alternative set of embodiments, transmission media can also take the form of waves (including, without limitation, radio, acoustic, and/or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communications). 
     Common forms of physical and/or tangible computer readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read instructions and/or code. 
     Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to the processor(s)  1310  for execution. Merely by way of example, the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk and/or optical disc of a remote computer. A remote computer might load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions as signals over a transmission medium to be received and/or executed by the computer or hardware system  1300 . These signals, which might be in the form of electromagnetic signals, acoustic signals, optical signals, and/or the like, are all examples of carrier waves on which instructions can be encoded, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. 
     The communications subsystem  1330  (and/or components thereof) generally will receive the signals, and the bus  1305  then might carry the signals (and/or the data, instructions, etc. carried by the signals) to the working memory  1335 , from which the processor(s)  1305  retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by the working memory  1335  may optionally be stored on a storage device  1325  either before or after execution by the processor(s)  1310 . 
     As noted above, a set of embodiments comprises methods and systems for implementing extension of customer local area networks (“LANs”), implementing isolated service overlays over a network, and/or implementing network enhanced gateway functionality, and, in particular embodiments, to methods, systems, apparatus, and computer software for implementing extension of customer LANs at a provider network service point(s), implementing isolated service overlays between the provider network service point(s) and each of one or more customer premises, and/or implementing network enhanced gateway functionality using network functions virtualization (“NFV”) and/or software defined networks (“SDNs”).  FIG. 14  illustrates a schematic diagram of a system  1400  that can be used in accordance with one set of embodiments. The system  1400  can include one or more user computers, user devices, or customer devices  1405 . A user computer, user device, or customer device  1405  can be a general purpose personal computer (including, merely by way of example, desktop computers, tablet computers, laptop computers, handheld computers, and the like, running any appropriate operating system, several of which are available from vendors such as Apple, Microsoft Corp., and the like), cloud computing devices, a server(s), and/or a workstation computer(s) running any of a variety of commercially-available UNIX™ or UNIX-like operating systems. A user computer, user device, or customer device  1405  can also have any of a variety of applications, including one or more applications configured to perform methods provided by various embodiments (as described above, for example), as well as one or more office applications, database client and/or server applications, and/or web browser applications. Alternatively, a user computer, user device, or customer device  1405  can be any other electronic device, such as a thin-client computer, Internet-enabled mobile telephone, and/or personal digital assistant, capable of communicating via a network (e.g., the network(s)  1410  described below) and/or of displaying and navigating web pages or other types of electronic documents. Although the exemplary system  1400  is shown with two user computers, user devices, or customer devices  1405 , any number of user computers, user devices, or customer devices can be supported. 
     Certain embodiments operate in a networked environment, which can include a network(s)  1410 . The network(s)  1410  can be any type of network familiar to those skilled in the art that can support data communications using any of a variety of commercially-available (and/or free or proprietary) protocols, including, without limitation, TCP/IP, SNA™, IPX™, AppleTalk™, and the like. Merely by way of example, the network(s)  1410  (similar to network  840   a ,  840   b , and/or  840   c ,  940 ,  1040 , or  1140  of  FIGS. 8-11 , respectively, or the like) can each include a local area network (“LAN”), including, without limitation, a fiber network, an Ethernet network, a Token-Ring™ network, and/or the like; a wide-area network (“WAN”); a wireless wide area network (“WWAN”); a virtual network, such as a virtual private network (“VPN”); the Internet; an intranet; an extranet; a public switched telephone network (“PSTN”); an infra-red network; a wireless network, including, without limitation, a network operating under any of the IEEE 802.11 suite of protocols, the Bluetooth™ protocol known in the art, and/or any other wireless protocol; and/or any combination of these and/or other networks. In a particular embodiment, the network might include an access network of the service provider (e.g., an Internet service provider (“ISP”)). In another embodiment, the network might include a core network of the service provider, and/or the Internet. 
     Embodiments can also include one or more server computers  1415 . Each of the server computers  1415  may be configured with an operating system, including, without limitation, any of those discussed above, as well as any commercially (or freely) available server operating systems. Each of the servers  1415  may also be running one or more applications, which can be configured to provide services to one or more clients  1405  and/or other servers  1415 . 
     Merely by way of example, one of the servers  1415  might be a data server, a web server, a cloud computing device(s), or the like, as described above. The data server might include (or be in communication with) a web server, which can be used, merely by way of example, to process requests for web pages or other electronic documents from user computers  1405 . The web server can also run a variety of server applications, including HTTP servers, FTP servers, CGI servers, database servers, Java servers, and the like. In some embodiments of the invention, the web server may be configured to serve web pages that can be operated within a web browser on one or more of the user computers  1405  to perform methods of the invention. 
     The server computers  1415 , in some embodiments, might include one or more application servers, which can be configured with one or more applications accessible by a client running on one or more of the client computers  1405  and/or other servers  1415 . Merely by way of example, the server(s)  1415  can be one or more general purpose computers capable of executing programs or scripts in response to the user computers  1405  and/or other servers  1415 , including, without limitation, web applications (which might, in some cases, be configured to perform methods provided by various embodiments). Merely by way of example, a web application can be implemented as one or more scripts or programs written in any suitable programming language, such as Java™, C, C #™ or C++, and/or any scripting language, such as Perl, Python, or TCL, as well as combinations of any programming and/or scripting languages. The application server(s) can also include database servers, including, without limitation, those commercially available from Oracle™, Microsoft™, Sybase™, IBM™, and the like, which can process requests from clients (including, depending on the configuration, dedicated database clients, API clients, web browsers, etc.) running on a user computer, user device, or customer device  1405  and/or another server  1415 . In some embodiments, an application server can perform one or more of the processes for implementing extension of customer LANs, implementing isolated service overlays over a network, and/or implementing network enhanced gateway functions, and, in particular embodiments, to methods, systems, apparatus, and computer software for implementing extension of customer LANs at a provider network service point(s), implementing isolated service overlays between the provider network service point(s) and each of one or more customer premises, and/or implementing network enhanced gateway functionality using NFV and/or SDNs, or the like, as described in detail above. Data provided by an application server may be formatted as one or more web pages (comprising HTML, JavaScript, etc., for example) and/or may be forwarded to a user computer  1405  via a web server (as described above, for example). Similarly, a web server might receive web page requests and/or input data from a user computer  1405  and/or forward the web page requests and/or input data to an application server. In some cases, a web server may be integrated with an application server. 
     In accordance with further embodiments, one or more servers  1415  can function as a file server and/or can include one or more of the files (e.g., application code, data files, etc.) necessary to implement various disclosed methods, incorporated by an application running on a user computer  1405  and/or another server  1415 . Alternatively, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, a file server can include all necessary files, allowing such an application to be invoked remotely by a user computer, user device, or customer device  1405  and/or server  1415 . 
     It should be noted that the functions described with respect to various servers herein (e.g., application server, database server, web server, file server, etc.) can be performed by a single server and/or a plurality of specialized servers, depending on implementation-specific needs and parameters. 
     In certain embodiments, the system can include one or more databases  1420   a  and  1420   b  (collectively, “databases  1420 ”). The location of each of the databases  1420  is discretionary: merely by way of example, a database  1420   a  might reside on a storage medium local to (and/or resident in) a server  1415   a  (and/or a user computer, user device, or customer device  1405 ). Alternatively, a database  1420   b  can be remote from any or all of the computers  1405 ,  1415 , so long as it can be in communication (e.g., via the network  1410 ) with one or more of these. In a particular set of embodiments, a database  1420  can reside in a storage-area network (“SAN”) familiar to those skilled in the art. (Likewise, any necessary files for performing the functions attributed to the computers  1405 ,  1415  can be stored locally on the respective computer and/or remotely, as appropriate.) In one set of embodiments, the database  1420  can be a relational database, such as an Oracle database, that is adapted to store, update, and retrieve data in response to SQL-formatted commands. The database might be controlled and/or maintained by a database server, as described above, for example. 
     According to some embodiments, system  1400  might further comprise a gateway device  1425  (similar to gateway device  805 ,  905 ,  1005 , or  1105  of  FIGS. 8-11 , respectively, or the like). Gateway device  1425  might comprise a switch  1430  (similar to switch  810 ,  910 ,  1010 , or  1110  of  FIGS. 8-11 , respectively, or the like) and a computing system  1435  (similar to computing system  825 ,  925 ,  1025 , or  1125  of  FIGS. 8-11 , respectively, or the like). Although  FIG. 14  shows computing system  1435  embodied within gateway device  1425 , the various embodiments are not so limited, and computing system  1435  may be embodied external to the gateway device  1425 , while being communicatively coupled to the gateway device  1425  via a host port (not shown; similar to host port  830 ,  930 ,  1030 , or  1130  of  FIGS. 8-11 , respectively, or the like). System  1400  might further comprise one or more NFV entities  1440  and/or one or more SDN controllers  1440 . In some cases, the one or more NFV entities  1440  might include, without limitation, one or more of a NFV resource manager (e.g., NFV resource manage  850  of  FIG. 8 , or the like), a NFVI system (e.g., NFVI system  855  of  FIG. 8 , or the like), a NFV orchestrator (e.g., NFV orchestrator  860  of  FIG. 8 , or the like), a NFV MANO architectural framework or system (e.g., NFV MANO architectural framework or system  865  of  FIG. 8 , or the like), a VNF manager (e.g., VNF manager  870  of  FIG. 8 , or the like), a VIM (e.g., VIM  875  of  FIG. 8 , or the like), other NFV entities (e.g., other NFV entities  880  of  FIG. 8 , or the like), a NFV entity (e.g., NFV entities  950 ,  1050 , and  1150  of  FIGS. 9-11 , or the like), and/or the like). The one or more NFV entities and/or SDN controllers  1440  might communicatively couple with, and control, at least one of switch  1430  and/or computing system  1435 , as described in detail above with respect to the embodiments of  FIGS. 8-11 . 
     In some embodiments, system  1400  might further comprise a network node  1445  (e.g., network node  225   a  of  FIG. 2B , network node  225   b  of  FIG. 2C , network node  415  of  FIG. 4 , and/or the like), which might comprise a gateway device  1450  (e.g., Vn gateway device  410   a - 410   n  of  FIG. 4 , Vn gateway container  410  of  FIG. 5 , and/or the like). The network node  1445  might enable establishment of a connection between a service provider network and a customer LAN and might extend the customer LAN (via the connection) to span between the network service point and the customer premises, and/or the like, as described in detail above with respect to  FIGS. 1, 2, and 6 . The gateway device  1450  might, according to some embodiments, enable establishment of two or more isolated service overlays—which might include, without limitation, two or more of a secure data service overlay, an Internet service overlay, an Internet of Things (“IoT”) service overlay, a PSB service overlay, a content delivery network (“CDN”) service overlay, one or more application or app service overlays each associated with an application service provider, or one or more other service overlays each associated with a service provider, and/or the like—across the customer LAN between the network service point and the customer premises, as described in detail above with respect to  FIGS. 1, 4, 5 , and  7 . The gateway device  1450  might also enable mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN (in some cases, mapping between the service provider network and the customer LAN for each of the two or more service overlays), as described above with respect to  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
     While certain features and aspects have been described with respect to exemplary embodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications are possible. For example, the methods and processes described herein may be implemented using hardware components, software components, and/or any combination thereof. Further, while various methods and processes described herein may be described with respect to particular structural and/or functional components for ease of description, methods provided by various embodiments are not limited to any particular structural and/or functional architecture but instead can be implemented on any suitable hardware, firmware and/or software configuration. Similarly, while certain functionality is ascribed to certain system components, unless the context dictates otherwise, this functionality can be distributed among various other system components in accordance with the several embodiments. 
     Moreover, while the procedures of the methods and processes described herein are described in a particular order for ease of description, unless the context dictates otherwise, various procedures may be reordered, added, and/or omitted in accordance with various embodiments. Moreover, the procedures described with respect to one method or process may be incorporated within other described methods or processes; likewise, system components described according to a particular structural architecture and/or with respect to one system may be organized in alternative structural architectures and/or incorporated within other described systems. Hence, while various embodiments are described with—or without—certain features for ease of description and to illustrate exemplary aspects of those embodiments, the various components and/or features described herein with respect to a particular embodiment can be substituted, added and/or subtracted from among other described embodiments, unless the context dictates otherwise. Consequently, although several exemplary embodiments are described above, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.