Embodiments of a device and method are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method of communications involves at a head end (HE), receiving an authentication message from a wireless access point (AP) deployed at a customer site, at the HE, performing a load balance operation in response to the authentication message to select a first authenticator from authenticators of the HE, at the HE, performing an authentication operation using the first authenticator based on the authentication message to generate an authentication request, and from the HE, transmitting the authentication request to an authentication server.