Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method comprising transmitting, by a controller comprising a processor, a request to a server to enable initiation of a virtual private network session on behalf of devices other than the controller. The controller transmits authentication information to enable the server to validate the request, and receives a first list of computing devices. The controller transmits a first selection of a target device from the first list to cause the server to initiate the virtual private network session between the target device and a service node providing services to the target device via the virtual private network session. The controller receives a second list of applications executable on each of the computing devices, and transmits to the server a second selection of an application from the second list that is executable by the target device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A communication device is disclosed. Specifically, the communication device may be a telephone service powered hotspot that plugs into a telephone jack of a Public Switched Telephone Network. The telephone plug of the hotspot provides power and a telephone connection for the hotspot. The hotspot may include a modem that can use the telephone connection to connect the hotspot to an Internet Service Provider. By using such a connection, the modem can provide dial-up internet connectivity for the hotspot. The hotspot can use the power supply to provide a wired or wireless power source for nearby devices after a disaster disables usual power sources. The hotspot can use the internet access from the modem to provide wired or wireless internet access for the nearby devices. However, because dial-up connectivity can have a very limited bandwidth, the hotspot may throttle applications when the bandwidth requires such throttling.

An access control method. A BNG CP may receive a first message from first user equipment. The first message is used by the first user equipment to request to access a network, a primary gateway through which the first user equipment accesses the network is a first BNG, and a backup gateway through which the first user equipment accesses the network is a second BNG. After receiving the first message, the BNG CP may determine, from a first network segment, an IP address assigned to the first user equipment, and send the IP address of the first user equipment to the first user equipment. The first network segment is only used to assign an IP address to user equipment that accesses the network by using the first BNG as a primary gateway and the second BNG as a backup gateway.

Disclosed are methods for detecting misconfigured VLANs. In some embodiments, traffic on a VLAN across multiple access points is categorized. Traffic on the VLAN at a single access point is then also categorized. The categorization of the VLAN traffic at the single access point can be in response to, for example, communication errors or other conditions. The two categorizations are then compared to determine if the VLAN traffic at the AP is consistent with the VLAN traffic across a network (e.g., an enterprise network). If the VLAN traffic at the AP is generally consistent with that across the network, this may indicate that a downstream network component, such as a switch or router, is misconfigured. Thus, some embodiments programmatically reconfigure the downstream component to forward traffic for the VLAN.

A network element includes an aggregate gateway function having a control plane and a separate user plane. The network element is configured to: establish a packet forwarding control protocol session between the residential gateway and the network; and facilitate network access by the residential gateway according to the packet forwarding control protocol session. The packet forwarding control protocol session hosts (i) a first set of forwarding rules for forwarding control messages between the control plane and the separate user plane and (ii) at least one second set of forwarding rules for forwarding data traffic between the control plane and the separate user plane.

This application discloses a method for controlling user equipment to access a network. After receiving a request packet sent by a gateway control plane device, a control device obtains, by parsing the request packet, a home identifier corresponding to first user equipment. The control device determines, based on the home identifier, a corresponding first target gateway user plane device when the first user equipment goes online, so that a plurality of user equipments corresponding to a same home identifier all go online through the first target gateway user plane device.