Method and apparatus for policing bandwidth usage for a home network

The invention includes a method and apparatus for policing a home network having a plurality of terminals. At a gateway between the home network and an access network, a method includes monitoring bandwidth usage associated with intra-network traffic, determining bandwidth requirements associated with inter-network traffic, and, in response to a determination that the bandwidth usage prevents satisfaction of one of the bandwidth requirements, transmitting data adapted to reduce intra-network traffic.