Method And Apparatus For Network Access Control

A method of granting a computing device access to a network, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving an access request from the computing device;
• querying an access status corresponding to the computing device from one or more access devices;
• if the access status is received as grant access, allowing the computing device to connect to the network;
• if the access status is not received, determining the access status by applying an access policy;
• and
• if the access status is determined to be grant access, allowing the computing device to connect to the network.

A method of granting a plurality of computing devices access to a network via a switch, the method comprising the steps of:

• associating a plurality of access devices with the switch;
• associating each of the computing devices to one access device within the plurality of access devices such that the number of computing devices associated with each access device is substantially the same;
• ascertaining, at the access device, an access status corresponding to each of the associated computing devices;
• and
• allowing each computing device to access the network if the access status corresponding to the device is ascertained to be grant access.