Patent ID: 8086233

Claim:
A method comprising: at a control server that manages access to a network in which a plurality of network devices are configured to provide service to subscribers directly or via client devices in the network, wherein the network devices register for service in the network via one of a plurality of gateway devices, receiving registration request messages associated with network devices seeking registration for service from gateway devices, wherein each registration request message includes data comprising an identifier of the network device that is seeking registration that is derived from data stored within a memory of the network device, and an identifier of the gateway device from which the registration request message is received; at the control server, storing data associated with network devices that have registered for service, wherein the data indicates identifiers of network devices and identifiers of gateway devices through which network devices have been discovered and requested registration; at the control server, evaluating the data contained in registration request messages with respect to the stored data in order to determine whether a network device identity has been cloned when its registration request message contains an identifier already being used by at least one other network device; and generating data indicating that the network device identity is suspected of having been cloned based on the evaluating when the identifier contained in the registration request message received at the control server from a first gateway device for a first network device is the same as an identifier already registered for a second network device at a second gateway device.