Network access arrangement

• US 20030023729A1
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Foster, Robert Al
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A client computer can be connected to a network via a network access arrangement. In order for such connection to occur, the network access arrangement must allocate a network address to the client computer. This newly allocated network address is stored by the network access arrangement. The network access arrangement then monitors file request messages transmitted by connected client computers. Each such file request includes an originating network address. The network access arrangement therefore compares the originating network address in each request with the contents of the store. In the event that the originating network address of a given file request is present in said store then instead of returning the requested file, the network access arrangement returns a substituted file to said client. The network access arrangement also deletes the originating network address from the store such that subsequent file requests are unaffected. Advantageously, in this way, instead of the user of the client computer first receiving the default file requested, a file substituted by the operator of the network access arrangement is received. This substituted file can, for example, contain a variety of information of utility to the user, including news, service information and advertisements. Where the files of concern are hypermedia documents, preferably the substituted file includes a hyperlink to the default requested file. Alternatively, the requested file is returned to the client after a predetermined period of time.

Claims

1. A method of operating a network access apparatus connected between at least one communications terminal and a network, said network access apparatus including a store populated with at least one network address allocated to a communications terminal, said method comprising:

receiving a request from a communications terminal for a file stored in said network, said file request including an originating network address;

comparing said originating network address with the contents of said store; and

in the event that said originating network address is present in said store, returning a substituted file to said communications terminal in place of said requested file and deleting said originating network address from said store.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said files are hypermedia documents, further comprising including within said substituted file a hyperlink to said requested file.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising returning said requested file to said communications terminal a predetermined period of time after returning said substituted file.

4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising:

determining at least one attribute associated with the connection between the network access apparatus and said communications terminal; and

creating at least a portion of said substituted file in dependence upon said attribute.

11. A computer program storage medium, said medium embodying computer readable code for reading into one or more computers and executable by said one or more computers to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 5.

5. A method of operating a network access arrangement, said arrangement being connected between at least one client and a network;

said method comprising;

receiving a request from a client for connection to said network;

allocating a network address to said connection requesting client in response to said connection request;

storing said newly allocated network address in a store of such newly allocated network addresses;

receiving a request from a client for a file stored in said network;

said file request including an originating network address;

comparing said originating network address with the contents of said store; and

in the event that said originating network address is present in said store, returning a substituted file to said file requesting client in place of said requested file and deleting said originating network address from said store.

6. A network access apparatus connected between at least one communications terminal and a network, comprising:

a store populated with at least one network address allocated to a communications terminal;

means arranged to receive a request from a communications terminal for a file stored in said network, said file request including an originating network address;

means arranged to compare said originating network address with the contents of said store; and

means arranged to return a substituted file to said communications terminal in place of said requested file and to delete said originating network address from said store in the event that said originating network address is present in said store.

7. A network access apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said files are hypermedia documents, further comprising means arranged to include within said substituted file a hyperlink to said requested file.

8. A network access apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising means arranged to return said requested file to said communications terminal a predetermined period of time after returning said substituted file.

9. A network access apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, further comprising:

means arranged to determine at least one attribute associated with the connection between the network access apparatus and said communications terminal; and

means arranged to create at least a portion of said substituted file in dependence upon said attribute.

10. A network access arrangement connected between at least one client and a network, said arrangement comprising:

means arranged to receive a request from a client for connection to said network;

means arranged to allocate a network address to said connection requesting client in response to said connection request;

a store for storing said newly allocated network address;

means arranged to receive a request from a client for a file stored in said network;

said file request including an originating network address;

means arranged to compare said originating network address with the contents of said store; and

means arranged to return a substituted file to said file requesting client in place of said requested file and to delete said originating network address from said store in the event that said originating network address is present in said store.