System and method for selectively bridging and routing data packets between multiple networks

• US 20020026528A1
• Filed: 07/16/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 2Wire, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lo, Kwoktung B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2859 Point-to-point connection between the data network and the subscribers encapsulation H04L12/4633; virtual LANs H04L12/4641; routing of packets H04L45/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A system and method to permit efficient communication between multiple devices having different network protocols and to permit a private network device to conduct a direct PPPoE session without restricting other devices on the private network from using another IP address. In particular, a gateway device is provided that translates and routes data packets between devices of different network protocols by referring to a table of device addresses and physical port information. Advantageously, the gateway device may maintain the table dynamically. An entry is created for a device the first time it sends a packet over the network, and an entry is deleted if a device has not sent a packet for a predetermined time interval. If no entry exists corresponding to a packet'"'"'s destination, the packet is sent to all devices on the network. Finally, the gateway device also identifies the ethertype of data packets and routes them accordingly.

Claims

1. A system for selectively bridging and routing data packets between a plurality of devices coupled to multiple physical networks, comprising:

a gateway device coupling the multiple physical networks,

the gateway device comprising;

a physical port for coupling to each of the multiple physical networks;

a network device driver for each physical port configured to convert data packets back and forth between an Ethernet protocol and a network protocol of each physical port;

a bridging module for routing each data packet to the appropriate network device driver based on each data packet'"'"'s intended destination; and

a look-up module for use by the bridging module to store device addresses and physical port information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the physical networks is a public network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the physical port for coupling to the public network is a broadband network connection.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the gateway device further comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) module for identifying and routing IP data packets between the public network and the other networks.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the gateway device further comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) module for identifying and routing IP data packets between the public network and the other networks.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the look-up module comprises a dynamically allocable table including entries comprising a Media Access Control (MAC) address and an identifier of a corresponding physical port of each device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the look-up module comprises a dynamically allocable table including entries comprising a Media Access Control (MAC) address and an identifier of a corresponding logical extension of a physical port of each device.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the dynamically allocable table further includes entries comprising a Media Access Control (MAC) address and an identifier of a corresponding logical extension of a physical port for each device.

9. A method for selectively bridging and routing data packets between a plurality of devices coupled to multiple physical networks, comprising the steps of:

receiving a data packet from a source device;

identifying a network protocol of the source device;

translating the data packet from the network protocol of the source device to an Ethernet protocol;

identifying a destination device of the data packet;

identifying a network protocol of the destination device;

translating the data packet from the Ethernet protocol to the network protocol of the destination device; and

sending the data packet to the destination device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of identifying the network protocol of the destination device includes referring to a look-up table that includes a device address and physical port information for each device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of creating an entry in the look-up table each time a device first sends a data packet over one of the multiple physical networks.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of deleting an entry in the look-up table if the device corresponding to the entry does not send a data packet over one of the multiple physical networks for a predetermined length of time.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of sending the data packet to all devices coupled to the multiple physical networks if the look-up table does not contain an entry for the destination device of the data packet.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of deleting the entry in the look-up table if the device corresponding to the entry does not send a data packet over one of the multiple physical networks for a predetermined length of time.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of sending the data packet to all devices coupled to the multiple physical networks if the look-up table does not contain the entry for the destination device of the data packet.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of sending the data packet to all devices coupled to the multiple physical networks if the look-up table does not contain the entry for the destination device of the data packet.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of sending the data packet to all devices coupled to the multiple physical networks if the look-up table does not contain the entry for the destination device of the data packet.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the physical port for coupling to the public network is a broadband network connection.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the gateway device further comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) module for identifying and routing IP data packets between the public network and the private network.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the gateway device further comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) module for identifying and routing IP data packets between the public network and the private network.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the look-up module for use by the bridging module further comprises a dynamically allocable table including entries comprising a Media Access Control (MAC) address and an identifier of a corresponding physical port of each device.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the look-up module for use by the bridging module further comprises a dynamically allocable table including entries comprising a Media Access Control (MAC) address and an identifier of a corresponding logical extension of a physical port of each device.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the dynamically allocable table further includes entries comprising a Media Access Control (MAC) address and an identifier of a corresponding logical extension of a physical port for each device.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the look-up module for use by the PPPoE module further comprises a dynamically allocable table including entries comprising a Media Access Control (MAC) address and an identifier of a corresponding physical port of each device.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the look-up module for use by the PPPoE module further comprises a dynamically allocable table including entries comprising a Media Access Control (MAC) address and an identifier of a corresponding logical extension of a physical port of each device.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the dynamically allocable table further includes entries comprising a Media Access Control (MAC) address and an identifier of a corresponding logical extension of a physical port for each device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of identifying the network protocol of the destination device includes referring to a look-up table including a device address and physical port information for each device.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of creating an entry in the look-up table each time a device first sends a data packet over the private network.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of deleting an entry in the look-up table if the device corresponding to the entry does not send a data packet over the private network for a predetermined length of time.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of sending the data packet to all devices coupled to the private network and the public network if the look-up table does not contain an entry for the destination device of the data packet.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of deleting the entry in the look-up table if the device corresponding to the entry does not send a data packet over the private network for a predetermined length of time.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of sending the data packet to all devices coupled to the private network and the public network if the look-up table does not contain the entry for the destination device of the data packet.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of sending the data packet to all devices coupled to the private network and the public network if the look-up table does not contain the entry for the destination device of the data packet.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of sending the data packet to all devices coupled to the private network and the public network if the look-up table does not contain the entry for the destination device of the data packet.

18. A system for selectively bridging and routing data packets using Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) between a device on a private network and a public network without restricting other devices on the private network from accessing the public network using another Internet Protocol (IP) address, comprising:

a gateway device coupling the private network and the public network,

the gateway device comprising;

a physical port for coupling to the private network;

a physical port for coupling to the public network;

a network device driver for each physical port configured to convert data packets back and forth between an Ethernet protocol and a network protocol of the private network;

a network device driver for each physical port configured to convert data packets back and forth between an Ethernet protocol and a network protocol of the public network;

a bridging module for routing each data packet to the appropriate network device driver based on each dat a packet'"'"'s intended destination;

a look-up module for use by the bridging module to store device addresses and physical port information;

a PPPoE module for identifying and routing PPPoE data packets between the private network and the public network; and

a look-up module for use by the PPPoE module to store device addresses and physical port information.

28. A method of selectively bridging and routing data packets using Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) between a device on a private network and a public network without restricting other devices on the private network from accessing the public network using another Internet Protocol (IP) address, comprising:

receiving a data packet from a source device;

identifying a network protocol of the source device;

translating the data packet from the network protocol of the source device to an Ethernet protocol;

identifying an ethertype of the data packet as PPPoE;

identifying a destination device for the data packet;

identifying a network protocol of the destination device;

translating the data packet from an Ethernet protocol to the network protocol of the destination device; and

sending the data packet to the destination device.