Patent ID: 8650589

Claim:
A computer-readable storage device, comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: receiving from a residential gateway an internet protocol address assigned to the residential gateway; submitting the internet protocol address of the residential gateway and a certificate of a set-top box to an internet protocol television system; and receiving from the internet protocol television system provisioning information for enabling presentation of internet protocol television services at a media device upon authenticating the set-top box according to the internet protocol address of the residential gateway and the certificate of the set-top box, the certificate comprising a public key infrastructure certificate uniquely created for and uniquely identifying the set-top box, wherein an authentication system determines if the set-top box is a previously unused device or a reused device, wherein, in accordance with detecting an entry in a database of the authentication system that includes the certificate and no associated internet protocol address of the residential gateway, the authentication system determines that the set-top box is previously unused, wherein, in accordance with detecting an entry in the database that includes the certificate and a stored internet protocol address and detecting a match between the internet protocol address submitted by the set-top box to the internet protocol television system and the stored internet protocol address, the authentication system determines that the set-top box is being reused and undergoing a power cycle in a same property assigned to the residential gateway, wherein, in accordance with detecting an entry in the database that includes the certificate and a stored internet protocol address and detecting a mismatch between the internet protocol address submitted by the set-top box to the internet protocol television system and the stored internet protocol address, the authentication system determines that the set-top box is being reused and is being transferred to another property by a same customer or between customers, and wherein the set-top box is authenticated and provisioned with the provisioning information without user input.