Patent ID: 7502929

Claim:
A method of assigning a network address to a host based on authentication for a physical connection between the host and an intermediate device, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: receiving, at a router hosting an authenticator process for the host, from a first server that provides authentication and authorization, in response to a request for authentication for the physical connection, first data indicating at least some of authentication and authorization information; receiving, at a DHCP relay agent process of the router, from the host, a DHCP discovery message for discovering a logical network address for the host; generating at the DHCP relay agent process a second message that comprises the DHCP discovery message and the first data; and sending the second message from the DHCP relay agent process to a DHCP server that provides the logical network address for the host; wherein generating the second message further comprises sending a third message, from the authenticator process to the relay agent process, that contains at least some of the authentication and authorization information based on the first data.