Ethernet Connectivity Fault Management With User Verification Option

An access node, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory, where said processor retrieves instructions from said memory and processes those instructions to enable the following:
• filtering an up-stream message initiated by the non-trusted device;
• intercepting the filtered up-stream message if the filtered up-stream message is a connectivity fault management message;
• inserting a trusted identification into the intercepted up-stream message;
• and
• outputting the intercepted up-stream message with the inserted trusted identification.

A method for obtaining a trusted verification of a non-trusted device which is part of an access system that also includes a trusted edge router and a trusted access node, said method comprising the steps of:

• sending a multicast loopback message from the edge router towards the non-trusted device;
• sending a unicast loopback reply message from the non-trusted device after the non-trusted device receives the multicast loopback message;
• intercepting the unicast loopback reply message at the access node;
• inserting a trusted identification into the intercepted unicast loopback reply message at the access node;
• outputting the unicast loopback reply message with the trusted identification from the access node;
• receiving the outputted unicast loopback reply message with the trusted identification at the edge router;
• and
• enabling the edge router to analyze the received unicast loopback reply message with the trusted identification to ascertain a trustworthiness of the non-trusted device.

A method for obtaining a trusted verification of a non-trusted device which is part of an access system that also includes a trusted edge router and a trusted access node, said method comprising the steps of:

• sending a connectivity fault management message from the non-trusted device towards the edge router;
• intercepting the connectivity fault management message at the access node;
• inserting a trusted identification into the intercepted connectivity fault management message at the access node;
• outputting the connectivity fault management message with the trusted identification from the access node;
• receiving the outputted connectivity fault management message with the trusted identification at the edge router;
• and
• enabling the edge router to analyze information in the received connectivity fault management message with the trusted identification to ascertain a trustworthiness of the non-trusted device.