NETWORK ACCESS DEVICE MONITORING

摘要

A method and apparatus enables a Network Access Server together with a telecommunications switch to route incoming calls only to devices that have sufficient resources to provide a connection to the Internet. A set of devices, RPs, reformat incoming data from subscribers to a desired Internet Protocol. During operation, each RP performs self-checks to determine whether sufficient resources exist within the RP for providing Internet communication. An example of such a resource is an Internet protocol (IP) address pool. Each RP may have several IP address pools that are associated with individual Internet service providers (ISPs). If, for example, an individual ISP's IP address pool is depleted within a particular RP, then that RP signals as much to call routing logic. The call routing logic will not route calls for that individual ISP to that particular RP until the call routing logic receives another signal indicating that the depleted resource has been replenished.