Importance

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Abstract

A method is provided for connecting a source of digital data to a computer network. The source of digital data transmits data over a wireless transmission medium to a wireless service carrier, the wireless service carrier multiplexing the digital data onto a high speed digital telephone line. The method comprises the steps of receiving the digital data at a communications chassis such as a network access server, extracting, from the digital data, network access authentication data comprising at least one of the following: (a) a telephone number called by the source of digital data, or (b) a telephone number associated with the source of digital data; transmitting the authentication data over a local area or wide area computer network connected to a network authentication server for the computer network; determining, in the network authentication server, from the transmitted authentication data whether the remote user is permitted to access the computer network; and the authentication server responsively notifying the network access server the results of the step of determining; and authorizing the source of data to access the computer network if the step of determining results in a positive response.

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First Claim