Patent ID: 8077732

Claim:
A method, comprising: extracting routing data from configuration data received from an initial access server, which is a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server; sending to customer premises equipment the routing data that indicates a logical network address for a layer 3 access gateway that routes data packet traffic for access to remote packet-switched network, whereby the layer 3 access gateway is at a node of the remote packet-switched network, a logical network address and a media access control (MAC) address for a layer 3 ancillary gateway being part of a plurality of ancillary gateways that routes data packet traffic for an ancillary service wherein the data packet traffic for the ancillary service is not routed through the access gateway to the remote packet-switched network, and a range of Internet Protocol (IP) network addresses for one or more servers that provide the ancillary service, the logical network address for the layer 3 ancillary gateway being mapped to the range of IP network addresses, wherein the logical network address for the layer 3 access gateway is mapped to a plurality of IP network addresses not included in the range of IP network addresses, wherein the initial access server includes subscriber routing data indicating a subscriber of the customer premises equipment is authorized to access the ancillary service provided by the one or more servers corresponding to the range of IP network addresses; and receiving from the customer premises equipment a data packet with a layer 2 destination address, wherein the layer 3 ancillary gateway is part of the plurality of ancillary gateways that operate to direct traffic associated with their specific ancillary service, wherein the data packet is being routed to a selected ancillary service and the layer 2 destination address corresponds to one of the plurality of ancillary gateways that directs traffic to the selected ancillary service, and wherein the layer 2 destination address is a MAC address that is checked against the routing data extracted from the configuration data to verify if the subscriber is authorized to access the selected ancillary service, and wherein if the subscriber is not authorized to access the selected ancillary service then the data packet is processed without forwarding the data packet to the layer 2 destination address, and wherein the plurality of ancillary gateways are connected to an access network, the access network providing a communication link between the customer premises equipment and the access gateway.