1. In a computerized network environment including a client system, a network provider, and one or more devices that can be accessed locally or over a network, a method for providing the client system access to one or more of the devices through the network provider, the method comprising the following: an act of identifying one or more devices that can be accessed; an act of generating a target that identifies at least one of the one or more devices, and that includes at least one corresponding device identifier; an act of associating client authorization information identified by the network provider with the target that identifies the at least one device; and an act of assigning the target to a port through a protocol-independent port driver at the network provider.