Abstract: Embodiments of a device and method are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method of communications involves at a head end (HE), receiving an authentication message from a wireless access point (AP) deployed at a customer site, at the HE, performing a load balance operation in response to the authentication message to select a first authenticator from authenticators of the HE, at the HE, performing an authentication operation using the first authenticator based on the authentication message to generate an authentication request, and from the HE, transmitting the authentication request to an authentication server.

Abstract: A network device may determine that network traffic for a communication session between a first peer device and a second peer device is to be protected using a security protocol suite. The network device may establish, using one or more tunnels, multiple security associations that are to be used to securely provide the network traffic of the communication session over an unsecured medium. The network device may determine a rekey scheduling time for each security association, of the multiple security associations, based on a combination of configuration information and dynamic network device information. The network device may perform, at each rekey scheduling time, a rekeying procedure to rekey each security association of the multiple security associations.

Abstract: A network device may determine that network traffic for a communication session between a first peer device and a second peer device is to be protected using a security protocol suite. The network device may establish, using one or more tunnels, multiple security associations that are to be used to securely provide the network traffic of the communication session over an unsecured medium. The network device may determine a rekey scheduling time for each security association, of the multiple security associations, based on a combination of configuration information and dynamic network device information. The network device may perform, at each rekey scheduling time, a rekeying procedure to rekey each security association of the multiple security associations.

Abstract: A device may include one or more processors to receive, from at least one user device, multiple network packets. The device may identify, from the network packets, a set of individual network packets, the set including at least two of the received network packets that are destined for a particular destination device. The device may generate, based on the set of individual network packets, a batch packet, the batch packet including: the set of individual network packets, data identifying the number of individual network packets included in the set, and offset data for each of the individual network packets included in the batch packet. Based on the batch packet, the device may perform an action.