Patent ID: 7720462

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a network port to exchange one or more communication data packets over a network; a plurality of access ports to exchange data with one or more remote endpoint devices, wherein the access ports include a wireless access port to exchange wireless data signals with the one or more remote endpoint devices through one or more existing communication session between the apparatus and the one or more endpoint devices; a switching device to transfer one or more communication data packets received from the network with the network port to the wireless access port for transmission as wireless data signals to at least one of the remote endpoint devices, or to transfer wireless data signals received by the wireless access port to the network port for transmission over the network as one or more communication data packets; and a controller to allow the one or more endpoint devices access to the network through the switching device of the apparatus according to one or more communication selectivity parameters, wherein the controller is configured to compare the communication selectivity parameters with a current day and time to determine whether to reduce access to the network for at least one of the remote devices, wherein the controller is configured to manage access to the network by the one or more remote endpoint devices on a per access port basis, wherein the controller is configured to allow network access over one or more wired ports and prohibit network access over the wireless port based on the comparison, wherein the controller includes at least one mapping table to correlate access permissions with each of the plurality of access ports, and wherein the controller is configured to prohibit initiation of new communication sessions with the apparatus by the one or more remote devices based, at least in part, on the comparison, while allowing those remote endpoint devices with existing communication sessions with the apparatus to continue to access the network through the switching device of the apparatus and while allowing any remote endpoint device that roams into range of the wireless access port to access the network through the switching device of the apparatus when the remote endpoint device has at least one existing communication session transferred from another access point associated with the apparatus.