Patent ID: 8208898

Claim:
A method for managing a local terminal equipment (TE) accessing a network through a mobile terminal (MT), wherein a management list is stored in the MT, the management list contains identity and current state information of one or more local TEs and information of whether each of the local TEs is allowed to access the network, wherein the network allows a limited number of local TEs to access via the MT, and wherein a user identity card having an identity is coupled with the MT, the method comprising: receiving, by the MT, an authentication request identity message containing an identity of a local TE from the local TE in a network access establishing procedure, determining, by the MT, according to the current state information of the local TEs in the management list whether the MT is serving the number of the local TEs as limited by the network; if the MT is serving the number of the local TEs as limited by the network, terminating the network access establishing procedure so that the access to the network by the local TE is not established; if the MT is serving fewer local TEs than the number as limited by the network, determining, by the MT, according to the management list whether the local TE is allowed to access the network; if, according to the management list, the local TE is allowed to access the network, acquiring, by the MT, the identity of the user identity card and returning the identity of the user identity card to the local TE, so that the local TE accesses the network by using the identity of the user identity card; and if a message of successful authentication is received from the local TE, modifying by the MT, the current state information of the local TE in the management list to indicate an online state, sending key information to the local TE, wherein the key information is used by the local TE in accessing the network.