Patent ID: 7983162

Claim:
A network device, comprising: a port to allow the device to communicate with user devices; a processor to: assign a user device in communication with the device to at least one group; receive a connection request from the user device associated with a group of the at least one group; determine if a traffic rate associated with the connection request is within an individual traffic rate associated with the user device; if the traffic rate associated with the connection request is not within the individual traffic rate associated with the user device, transmit a response to the user device denying the connection request; if the traffic rate associated with the connection request is within the individual traffic rate associated with the user device, determine if an addition of the traffic rate to an aggregate of traffic rates associated with other user devices of the group would exceed a group traffic rate of the group associated with the connection request; if the addition would not exceed the group traffic rate, transmit a response to the user device granting the connection request; and if the addition would exceed the group traffic rate, transmit a response to the user device denying the connection request; wherein to receive the connection request from the user device further comprises to receive a request from a cable modem; wherein to assign the user device to the at least one group further comprises to assign the user device to the at least one group by: defining a parameter in a configuration file for the modem; receiving a connection request from the modem; receiving the configuration file from the modem, wherein the configuration file contains the parameter; and using the parameter to assign the cable modem to a group.