Abstract: A method includes identifying, at a security device of a secured wireless network, a wireless-enabled device that is not authorized to access the secured wireless network. The method also includes sending an access request message directed to a messaging address in response to identifying the wireless-enabled device. The access request message includes information that identifies the wireless-enabled device includes a first selectable option to allow access to the secured wireless network without requiring user input of a network password associated with the secured wireless network via the wireless-enabled device. The access request message also and includes a second selectable option to deny access to the secured wireless network.

Abstract: A method includes, in response to determining that a distribution capacity of a network device exceeds a first distribution capacity threshold and that the distribution capacity of the network device does not exceed a second distribution capacity threshold, determining, at the network device, whether a data source satisfies a popularity criteria. The method includes, in response to determining that the data source satisfies the popularity criteria, sending, from the network device, data associated with the data source to a user device.

Abstract: A method includes identifying, at a security device of a secured wireless network, a wireless-enabled device that is not authorized to access the secured wireless network. The method also includes sending an access request message directed to a messaging address in response to identifying the wireless-enabled device. The access request message includes information that identifies the wireless-enabled device includes a first selectable option to allow access to the secured wireless network without requiring user input of a network password associated with the secured wireless network via the wireless-enabled device. The access request message also and includes a second selectable option to deny access to the secured wireless network.

Abstract: A particular method includes receiving a request to access a secured wireless local network at a security device of the secured wireless local network from a wireless-enabled device that is not authorized to access the secured wireless local network when the request is received. The method includes receiving identification information from the wireless-enabled device at the security device. The method also includes automatically sending an access request message from the security device to at least one messaging address. The access request message provides a recipient of the access request message with at least a portion of the identification information and a selectable option to allow the wireless-enabled device access to the secured wireless local network without requiring user input of a network password associated with the secured wireless local network via the wireless-enabled device.

Abstract: A particular method includes measuring port usage data related to each of a plurality of physical ports associated with a link aggregation group. A bandwidth requirement of a requested media stream is estimated and added to a traffic load at each of the plurality of physical ports to produce an estimated total traffic load of each of the plurality of physical ports. When the requested media stream includes non-video data, the requested media stream is sent to a destination device via a physical port that selected in accordance with a static bandwidth allocation. When the requested media stream includes video data, the requested media stream is sent to the destination device via a least loaded physical port that is dynamically identified based on the estimated traffic loads of each of the plurality of physical ports.

Abstract: A method includes, in response to determining that a distribution capacity of a network device exceeds a first distribution capacity threshold and that the distribution capacity of the network device does not exceed a second distribution capacity threshold, determining, at the network device, whether a data source satisfies a popularity criteria. The method includes, in response to determining that the data source satisfies the popularity criteria, sending, from the network device, data associated with the data source to a user device.

Abstract: Systems and methods of controlling communication of data are provided. A method of controlling communication of data may include receiving, at a network component, a request for data associated with a data source. The network component may have a limited capacity to distribute data. The method also includes determining whether the network component is exceeding a first capacity threshold. When the network component is exceeding the first capacity threshold, the method includes determining whether the data source meets a popularity criterion. When the data source meets the popularity criterion, the method includes sending the data associated with the data source.

Abstract: A particular method includes receiving a request to access a secured wireless local network at a security device of the secured wireless local network from a wireless-enabled device that is not authorized to access the secured wireless local network when the request is received. The method includes receiving identification information from the wireless-enabled device at the security device. The method also includes automatically sending an access request message from the security device to at least one messaging address. The access request message provides a recipient of the access request message with at least a portion of the identification information and a selectable option to allow the wireless-enabled device access to the secured wireless local network without requiring user input of a network password associated with the secured wireless local network via the wireless-enabled device.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a PE-ASBR (Provider Edge-Autonomous System Boundary Routers) having a controller to receive new routing information without an attribute of origin, insert a site of origin of the PE-ASBR into the new routing information if the PE-ASBR is dual-homed to another MPLS-VPN cluster, and broadcast to other network elements the new routing information with the site of origin of the PE-ASBR. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A particular method includes measuring port usage data related to each of a plurality of physical ports associated with a link aggregation group. A bandwidth requirement of a requested media stream is estimated and added to a traffic load at each of the plurality of physical ports to produce an estimated total traffic load of each of the plurality of physical ports. When the requested media stream includes non-video data, the requested media stream is sent to a destination device via a physical port that selected in accordance with a static bandwidth allocation. When the requested media stream includes video data, the requested media stream is sent to the destination device via a least loaded physical port that is dynamically identified based on the estimated traffic loads of each of the plurality of physical ports.

Abstract: Methods for automating membership discovery in a distributed computer network are presented. A particular method includes establishing a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) tunnel and Targeted Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) signaling channel between a first Provider Edge (PE) device and a plurality of PE devices. A first Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) site is added to a Multi-Tenant Unit (MTU) device associated with the first PE device. A first LDP Label Mapping Message is sent to the first PE device from the MTU device. The first LDP Label Mapping Message is broadcast to the plurality of PE devices from the first PE device. A second LDP Label Mapping Message is sent to the MTU device from the first PE device to establish a virtual circuit label switch path between the MTU device and the first PE device. A second VPLS site is added to the MTU device without sending an associated LDP Label Mapping Message to the first PE device.

Abstract: A computer-readable storage medium (102) is provided for managing end-to-end QoS (Quality of Service) policies in a communication network (100). The storage medium includes computer instructions for establishing (302) a plurality of QoS domains (108) between a plurality of packet switching technologies (102, 106. 110) operating with disparate QoS policies, each QoS domain having an ingress and egress boundary, remapping (303) a QoS policy of each packet exchanged between the ingress boundaries of the plurality of QoS domains, and restoring (309) the QoS policy of each packet exchanged between the egress boundaries of the plurality of QoS domains.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of allocating media streams includes measuring real-time port usage data related to each of a plurality of physical ports associated with a link aggregation group. The method further includes selecting at least one, but not all, of the plurality of physical ports based on the real-time port usage data and sending a media stream to a network via the physical port.

Abstract: A method of delivering video content includes receiving a request for a video stream at a network device of a video distribution network. The request is received via a network link associated with a link aggregation group. The method includes determining a current real-time traffic load at each of a plurality of physical interfaces associated with the link aggregation group at the network device. Further, the method includes identifying an interface having a lowest traffic load of the plurality of physical interfaces. The lowest traffic load is lower than a pre-defined threshold. The method includes determining a total traffic load for the identified interface. The total traffic load includes an estimated traffic load corresponding to the requested video stream and including the lowest traffic load. The method also includes sending the requested video stream via the identified interface when the total traffic load is lower than the pre-defined threshold.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network policy manager having a controller element to provision one or more network elements in a communication system with at least one base policy template and at least one atomic policy template retrieved from one or more base policy templates and a plurality of atomic policy templates according to a service order of a subscriber. At least one base policy template can correspond to an operating baseline of the one or more network elements, while at least one atomic policy template can correspond to one among a plurality of service configurations of the one or more network elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of encapsulating data packets for use in a distributed computer network is disclosed. The method includes providing a data packet for transmission over the distributed computer network, the data packet selected from one of a customer data packet and an OAM data packet; and encapsulating the data packet with a medium access control outer packet. The disclosed data packet handling method includes receiving a data packet from a customer facing data port, the customer facing data port within a network node of a computer network; performing medium access control (MAC) learning for the received packet; determining whether the data port is a MAC-in-MAC port; performing a packet mapping to a destination address based on a service provider destination address; and encapsulating the received data packet with a header associated with the service provider.

Abstract: A computer-readable storage medium (102) is provided for managing end-to-end QoS (Quality of Service) policies in a communication network (100). The storage medium includes computer instructions for establishing (302) a plurality of QoS domains (108) between a plurality of packet switching technologies (102, 106. 110) operating with disparate QoS policies, each QoS domain having an ingress and egress boundary, remapping (303) a QoS policy of each packet exchanged between the ingress boundaries of the plurality of QoS domains, and restoring (309) the QoS policy of each packet exchanged between the egress boundaries of the plurality of QoS domains.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a PE-ASBR (Provider Edge-Autonomous System Boundary Routers) having a controller to receive new routing information without an attribute of origin, insert a site of origin of the PE-ASBR into the new routing information if the PE-ASBR is dual-homed to another MPLS-VPN cluster, and broadcast to other network elements the new routing information with the site of origin of the PE-ASBR. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of encapsulating data packets for use in a distributed computer network is disclosed. The method includes providing a data packet for transmission over the distributed computer network, the data packet selected from one of a customer data packet and an OAM data packet; and encapsulating the data packet with a medium access control outer packet. The disclosed data packet handling method includes receiving a data packet from a customer facing data port, the customer facing data port within a network node of a computer network; performing medium access control (MAC) learning for the received packet; determining whether the data port is a MAC-in-MAC port; performing a packet mapping to a destination address based on a service provider destination address; and encapsulating the received data packet with a header associated with the service provider.

Abstract: A computer-readable storage medium (102) is provided for managing end-to-end QoS (Quality of Service) policies in a communication network (100). The storage medium includes computer instructions for establishing (302) a plurality of QoS domains (108) between a plurality of packet switching technologies (102, 106. 110) operating with disparate QoS policies, each QoS domain having an ingress and egress boundary, remapping (303) a QoS policy of each packet exchanged between the ingress boundaries of the plurality of QoS domains, and restoring (309) the QoS policy of each packet exchanged between the egress boundaries of the plurality of QoS domains.