Patent ID: 8291469

Claim:
A method of operating an access provider, wherein a customer requests a service from a service provider, the method of operating the access provider comprising: receiving an access request from the service provider into a control system at the access provider, wherein the service provider is separate from the access provider, wherein the service provider transfers the access request to the access provider to support the service for the customer; providing an access interface at a customer premise of the customer, wherein the access interface is separate from the access provider and the service provider, and providing a packet service link and a packet control link from the access interface to the service provider; in the control system in response to the access request, generating an authentication code, corresponding the authentication code to an authorized action, transferring the authentication code and the corresponding authorized action to the service provider, and transferring the authentication code and the corresponding authorized action to the access interface at the customer premise; storing the authentication code and the corresponding authorized action in the access interface at the customer premise; and receiving an action request from the service provider over the packet control link into the access interface at the customer premise wherein the action request indicates the authentication code and a requested action, and in response, determining if the action request is authentic based on the stored authentication code, and if the action request is authentic, determining if the requested action is authorized based on the stored corresponding authorized action, and if the requested action is authorized, performing the requested action.