A method for Internet Protocol (IP) charging and rating gateway within a system having: (i) a proxy server for connection to an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server; (ii) an access gateway, (iii) an IP classification engine for connection between a data network and the access gateway; and (iv) a gateway controller connected to the proxy server and the IP classification engine, including the steps of: (a) receiving IP packets at the IP classification engine, the IP packets originating from the data network and destined for a subscriber device via the access gateway; (b) classifying the IP packets according to the protocol of each of the packets at the IP classification engine; and (c) selectively instructing the IP classification engine to permit or deny the flow of IP packets between the data network and the access gateway at the gateway controller. Preferably, the proxy server is configured to emulate the access gateway and the AAA server.