Techniques are provided to detect cloning of network device identity when network device is seeking registration for service in a network. A control server manages access to the network in which a plurality of network devices are configured to communicate and serve client devices. The network devices require registration with the service gateway in order to provide services. When network devices register with the service gateway, the service gateway performs local clone detection by looking for active registrations from devices with the same identity and by further communicating with the control server. The control server receives registration request messages associated with network devices seeking registration for service from gateway devices, wherein each registration request message includes data comprising an identifier of the network device that is seeking registration that is derived from data stored within a memory of the network device, and an identifier of the gateway device from which the registration request message is received. The control server evaluates the data contained in registration request messages with respect to stored data in order to determine whether a network device identity has been cloned when its registration request message contains an identifier that is already being used by at least one other network device.