Patent ID: 7454518

Claim:
A multicast communication system comprising a plurality of subscriber locations, each subscriber location having an access device through which a plurality of subscriber devices access multicast information sent by a multicast distribution device, wherein each access device acts as a sole multicast receiver for its respective subscriber location and distributes multicast information received from the multicast distribution device to the subscriber devices at its respective subscriber location, wherein each said access device operates by joining and leaving at least one multicast group as a substitute for the subscriber devices at its respective subscriber location, and wherein each said access device processes a first join request received from one of said subscriber devices by determining whether said access device is already joined to a multicast group indicated by said first join request, and, in the event that said access device is not already joined to said multicast group indicated by said first join request, sending a second join request to said multicast distribution device, wherein said second join request is a request for said access device to join said multicast group, wherein said access device does not forward said first join request to said multicast distribution service, wherein said joining said multicast group by said access device on behalf of said first subscriber device includes authenticating, in response to said second join request, said access device by said multicast distribution device, and wherein said multicast distribution device does not authenticate said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device prior to said access device distributing to each of said subscriber devices at said subscriber location for said access device multicast information sent to said access device by said multicast distribution device over multicast routes established to said access device from said multicast distribution device in response to said multicast distribution device successfully authenticating said access device and said access device having joined said multicast group as a result of said successful authentication.