FIG. 1 illustrates the use of ISP node 140a to link LAN A 150 to the public network 120 using Uplink 0 170, and the use of ISP node 140b to link LAN B 156 to the public network 120 using Uplink 0 172. In some embodiments an ISP node is not required to link a local area network to a public network. In various implementations, ISP nodes 140a and/or 140b are each provided as a single entity (e.g., a server, a virtual machine, etc.). In some implementations, ISP node 140a and/or 140b are each implemented as a distributed system including a suitable combination of software, data structures, virtual machines, computing devices, servers, switches and routers. For the sake of brevity and convenience of explanation, the ISP nodes 140a and 140b are each described herein as a single entity.
