Patent ID: 8918843

Claim:
A method of detecting unauthorized tethering by a wireless device, comprising: detecting by a network node a plurality of first wireless devices, wherein each of the first wireless devices is in communication with an access node over a communication link; determining by the network node from among the plurality of detected first wireless devices a suspect device list of first wireless devices which are capable of tethering and are not authorized for tethering, wherein tethering comprises establishing a second communication link with a second wireless device and enabling the second wireless device to communicate with the access node using the communication link between one of the first wireless devices and the access node; determining by the network node a resource usage of each of the first wireless devices in the suspect device list; removing by the network node at least one first wireless device from the suspect device list based on the determined resource usage of the at least one first wireless device; examining by the network node a software indicator for each first wireless device remaining on the suspect device list; and creating by the network node an unauthorized device list from the first wireless devices remaining on the suspect device list based on the examined software indicators.