Patent ID: 8607058

Claim:
A method comprising: detecting failure of a first device on a single client node to authenticate the client node through a controlled port from which a service is requested; and using a second device on the client node to authenticate the client node through the controlled port, the second device sharing a link with the first device; wherein: said detecting failure of the first device on the client node to authenticate the client node through a controlled port from which a service is requested comprises determining that a primary network session has not been established by the first device by way of at least one of passive sensing of network connectivity or active sensing of network connectivity; using the second device on the client node to authenticate the system through the controlled port comprises: blocking the first device from transmitting and receiving network traffic; and initiating authentication of the second device through the controlled port, wherein said initiating authentication comprises providing credentials to the controlled port that are different from credentials provided by the first device to authenticate the first device to controlled port.