Patent ID: 7058022

Claim:
A method of configuring a network access device associated with a subscriber of network services of a regional access network and having a network address associated with an extra-regional service network, with a new network address associated with the regional access network, wherein the network access device is connected to the regional access network by a cable modem and the regional access network is connected to a plurality of extra-regional service networks, the method comprising: receiving from the network access device, a first request for access to the extra-regional service network; assigning, to the network access device in response to the first request, a first network address allocated to subscribers of the extra-regional service network, the first network address used by the network access device to communicate over the regional access network to the extra-regional service network; receiving from the network access device, a second request at the regional access network requesting the release of access to the extra-regional service provider; sending, to the network access device, a response to the second request from the regional access network; receiving, from the network access device, a network address change request using a configuration protocol, and assigning to the network access device, a second network address allocated to subscribers of the regional access network, the second network address used by the network access device to communicate data packets with the regional access network.