Patent ID: 7577725

Claim:
A network access server (NAS), the NAS comprising: an HGS identifier configured to identify a home gateway server (HGS) of an Internet service provider (ISP), the HGS associated with a home domain to which a request for an IP address is to be transmitted, the ISP and a Network Access Provider (NAP) of the NAS being separate, wherein the HGS identifier is configured to identify the HGS responsive to log-in information provided by a user; an IP address requester configured to request an IP address from the HGS, the HGS maintaining a pool of IP addresses for allocation to authorized users, the IP address requester configured to transmit the user's authentication information to the HGS with the request for an IP address from the HGS; an IP address relayer configured to receive an IP address allocated to the user from the HGS and to relay the allocated IP address to the user; and a memory coupled with the IP address requester and the IP address relayer, the memory storing an association between an identification of the user and the IP address allocated to the user, the NAS configured to provide a user with access and connection to a global data communications internetwork, further comprising: a receiver configured to receive periodic queries from the HGS about the status of the user connection to the NAS; and a responder responsive to the periodic queries and configured to inform the HGS that the user is still connected to the NAS.