Method of cost reduction/billing

#A CD_ROM appendix, Appendix A, having file named APP_A.TXT, totaling 78 kilobytes, and created on Aug. 15, 2001, consisting of a computer listing constitutes a part of the specification of this invention, pursuant to 37 C.F.R. Sections 1.77 and 1.96, the CD-ROM appendix being incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

#A portion of the disclosure of this appendix document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.

#The present invention relates in general to digital data networks and, more particularly, to network access and to minimizing unauthorized interception of data and denial of network services.

#For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 illustrates signal communication paths between clients, ISPs and network access providers;

#FIG. 2 illustrates in more detail the software interaction between a client and an access service provider;

#The entire contents of Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/050,186, entitled: “Multi-User Internet Dispatch System,” filed on Jun. 19, 1997, including appendices, are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

#It should be noted that the present invention applies to any network or interconnected set of networks. However, since the Internet is a well known example of an interconnected set of networks, Internet terminology and interaction examples will be used in the explanation of this invention.

#The present invention solves all or some of at least ten problems: