Patent ID: 7069344

Claim:
A method of configuring a single network access device of a computer of a subscriber having a first subscription to a first service provider of a first service network and a second subscription to a second service provider of a second service network, the network access device comprising a cable modem connected through a cable access network to one of the first and second service networks, the method comprising: receiving, from the subscriber, a first request for access to the first service network; assigning, to the network access device in response to the first request, a first network address allocated by the cable access network to the first service provider, the first network address used by the network access device to communicate data over the cable access network to the first service network; receiving, from the subscriber, a second request to change from the first service network to the second service network; initialing, in response to the second request, a network address change request to release the first network address using a configuration protocol; and assigning, to the network access device a second network address allocated by the cable access network to the second service provider, the second network address used by the network access device to communicate data over the cable access network to the second service network.