Patent ID: 7249186

Claim:
A system for identifying a subscriber, comprising: an access server coupled to a plurality of subscribers using a first communication network and further coupled to a second communication network, the access server operable to receive a communication from a particular subscriber using a particular one of a plurality of virtual circuits associated with the first communication network; a memory coupled to the access server and operable to store path information for the plurality of subscribers, the path information for the particular subscriber identifying a virtual circuit that is pre-assigned to the particular subscriber for communicating with the access server; and a processor coupled to the memory, the access server comprising one of a plurality of access servers coupled to the processor and the path information for the particular subscriber further identifying an access server assigned to the particular subscriber, the processor operable to: compare the path information for the particular subscriber to the particular virtual circuit used to receive the communication from the particular subscriber; and identify the particular subscriber for connection to the second communication network based on the comparison and based on an identifier of the particular access server coupled to the particular subscriber.