Methods and apparatus for masking destination addresses to reduce traffic over a communication link

• US 20030115345A1
• Filed: 04/11/2002
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Clearwire Legacy LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Clearwire Legacy LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Fung, Kevin, Nichols, Keith C., Chien, Herman, Hong, Liang A., Moinzadeh, Kamyar, Ying, Wen-Ping, Leuca, Ileana A.
• Application Number:
  US10/121,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20030115345A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• 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 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

One method described includes the steps of monitoring, at a wireless transceiver unit, communications involving address assignment between a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server and one or more computer devices; storing, at the wireless transceiver unit, at least one computer device identifier corresponding to at least one computer device that was assigned an address by the DHCP server; receiving, at the wireless transceiver unit, traffic from a first computer device of the one or more computer devices; identifying, at the wireless transceiver using the at least one computer device identifier, that the first computer device is one that was assigned an address by the DHCP server; transmitting, from the wireless transceiver unit over a wireless communication link, traffic from the first computer device based on identifying that it was assigned an address by the DHCP server; receiving, at the wireless transceiver unit, traffic from a second computer device of the one or more computer devices; failing to identify, at the wireless transceiver unit using the at least one computer device identifier, that the second computer device is one that was assigned an address by the DHCP server; and inhibiting transmission, from the wireless transceiver unit over the wireless communication link, traffic from the second computer device based on failing to identify that it was assigned an address by the DHCP server.

Claims

1. A method for use in reducing traffic over a communication link used by a computer network, the computer network including one or more computer devices coupled to the communication link by a gateway, the method comprising:

monitoring communications on the communication link involving address assignment to one or more computer devices on a computer network;

storing at least one computer device identifier corresponding to at least one computer device having an assigned address received in a communication on the communication link;

receiving, at the gateway, traffic from the computer network that is associated with a computer device of the one or more computer devices;

determining at the gateway using the at least one computer device identifier, whether the computer device has an assigned address; and

if the computer device does not have an assigned address received on a communication on the communication link, blocking the traffic from the communication link;

otherwise, transmitting the traffic through the gateway to the communication link based upon an assigned address for the computer device received on the communication link.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing the at least one computer device identifier further comprises:

storing the assigned address in association with the at least one computer device identifier.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing the at least one computer device identifier further comprises:

storing at least one physical address corresponding to the at least one computer device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication link comprises a wireless communication link.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication link comprises a wireless communication link of a fixed wireless system.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gateway device comprises a wireless transceiver unit.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the address-assigning computer device comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP)-type server.

8. A computer network, comprising:

a service-providing network including an address-assigning computer device;

a gateway device connected to the service-providing network for;

monitoring communications involving address assignment between the address-assigning computer device and one or more computer devices;

storing at least one computer device identifier corresponding to at least one computer device that was assigned an address by the address-assigning computer device;

receiving traffic from a computer device of the one or more computer devices;

using the at least one computer device identifier, determining whether the computer device is one that was assigned an address by the address-assigning computer device; and

if the computer device does not have an assigned address received on a communication on the communication link, blocking the traffic from the communication link;

otherwise, transmitting the traffic through the gateway to the communication link based upon an assigned address for the computer device received on the communication link.

9. The computer network according to claim 8, further comprising:

the gateway device further for;

storing the assigned address in association with the at least one computer device identifier.

10. The computer network according to claim 8, further comprising:

the gateway device being further operative for;

storing the at least one physical address corresponding to the at least one computer device.

11. The computer network according to claim 8, wherein the communication link comprises a wireless communication link.

12. The computer network according to claim 8, wherein the gateway device comprises a wireless transceiver unit.

13. The computer network according to claim 8, wherein the address-assigning computer device comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP)-type server.

16. A fixed wireless system, comprising:

a wireless transceiver unit;

the wireless transceiver unit having an input for coupling to a plurality of computer devices;

a wireless base unit;

the wireless base unit and transceiver unit operative to communicate over a wireless communication link;

an address-assigning computer device coupled to the wireless base unit;

the wireless transceiver unit operative to transmit address requests for the computer devices to the address-assigning computer device;

the wireless transceiver unit operative to transmit, over the wireless communication link, traffic from a computer device that was assigned an address by the addressing assigning computer device; and

the wireless transceiver unit operative to inhibit transmission of traffic over the wireless communication link from one or more other computer devices that were not assigned an address by the address-assigning computer device.

17. The fixed wireless system according to claim 16, further comprising:

the wireless transceiver unit operative to store a computer device identifier to identify the traffic from the computer device that was assigned the address by the address-assigning computer device.

18. The fixed wireless system according to claim 16, further comprising:

the wireless transceiver unit operative to store the address to identify the traffic from the computer device that was assigned the address by the address-assigning computer device.

19. The fixed wireless system according to claim 16, further comprising:

wherein the address-assigning computer device comprises a private address-assigning computer device.

20. The fixed wireless system according to claim 16, wherein the computer device comprises a first computer device and the address comprises a first address, the fixed wireless system further comprising:

the wireless transceiver unit operative to transmit, over the wireless communication link, traffic from a second computer device that was assigned a second address by the addressing assigning computer device.

21. A method for controlling the use of resources in a computer network, the method comprising:

receiving, at an address-assigning computer device, an address request from a computer device of a local computer network;

reading, at the address-assigning computer device, subscription data associated with the computer device, the subscription data including -data indicative of a maximum allowable number of addresses for simultaneous use by the local computer network; and

determining, at the address-assigning computer device, whether to assign an address to the computer device based on the maximum allowable number of addresses and an actual number of addresses simultaneously assigned to the local computer network.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

assigning an address to the computer device if it is determined that the actual number of addresses is less than the maximum allowable number of addresses.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

declining to assign an address to the computer device if it is determined that the actual number of addresses is equal to the maximum allowable number of addresses.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the local computer network comprises a first local computer network, the computer device comprises a first computer device, and the subscription data comprises first subscription data, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the address-assigning computer device, an address request from a second computer device of a second local computer network;

reading, at the address-assigning computer device, second subscription data associated with the second local computer network, the second subscription data including data indicative of a maximum allowable number of addresses for simultaneous use by the second local computer network; and

determining, at the address-assigning computer device, whether to assign an address to the second computer device based on the maximum allowable number of addresses and an actual number of addresses simultaneously assigned to the second local computer network.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the address-assigning computer device comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP)-type server.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the computer network further comprises a gateway coupled between the local computer network and the address-assigning computer device over a communication link, the method further comprising:

monitoring, at the gateway, communications involving the address assignment between the address-assigning computer device and the computer device;

storing, at the gateway, a computer device identifier corresponding to the computer device that was assigned the address by the address-assigning computer device;

receiving, at the gateway, traffic from the computer device;

identifying, at the gateway using the computer device identifier, that the computer device is one that was assigned an address by the address-assigning computer device; and

transmitting, from the gateway, traffic from the computer device based on identifying that it was assigned an address by the address-assigning computer device.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

receiving, at the gateway, traffic from another computer device in the local computer network;

failing to identify, at the gateway, that the other computer device is one that was assigned an address by the address-assigning computer device; and

inhibiting transmission, from the gateway, traffic from the other computer device based on failing to identify that it was assigned an address by the address-assigning computer device.

28. An address-assigning computer device for controlling use of resources in a computer network, the address-assigning computer device operative to receive an address request from a computer device of a local computer network;

read subscription data associated with the local computer network, where the subscription data includes data indicative of a maximum allowable number of addresses for simultaneous use by the local computer network; and

determine whether to assign an address to the computer device based on the maximum allowable number of addresses and an actual number of addresses simultaneously assigned to the local computer network.

29. The address-assigning computer device according to claim 28, wherein the address-assigning computer device is further operative to assign an address to the computer device if it is determined that the actual number of addresses is less than the maximum allowable number of addresses.

30. The address-assigning computer device according to claim 28, wherein the address-assigning computer device is further operative to decline to assign an address to the computer device if it is determined that the actual number of addresses is equal to the maximum allowable number of addresses.

31. The address-assigning computer device according to claim 28, wherein the local computer network comprises a first local computer network, the computer device comprises a first computer device, and the subscription data comprises first subscription data, and wherein the address-assigning computer device is further operative to receive an address request from a second computer device of a second local computer network;

read second subscription data associated with the second local computer network, where the second subscription data includes data indicative of a maximum allowable number of addresses for simultaneous use by the second local computer network; and

determine whether to assign an address to the second computer device based on the maximum allowable number of addresses and an actual number of addresses simultaneously assigned to the second local computer network.

32. The address-assigning computer device according to claim 28, comprising a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP)-type server.

33. An address-assigning computer device for controlling use of resources in a computer network which involves a first local computer network and a second local computer network:

wherein the address-assigning computer device is operative to;

receive an address request from a first computer device of the first local computer network;

read first subscription data associated with the first local computer network, where the first subscription data includes data indicative of a maximum allowable number of addresses for simultaneous use by the first local computer network;

determine whether to assign an address to the first computer device based on the maximum allowable number of addresses and an actual number of addresses simultaneously assigned to the first local computer network;

wherein the address-assigning computer device is further operative to;

receive an address request from a second computer device of the second local computer network;

read second subscription data associated with the second local computer network, where the second subscription data includes data indicative of a maximum allowable number of addresses for simultaneous use by the second local computer network; and

determine whether to assign an address to the second computer device based on the maximum allowable number of addresses and an actual number of addresses simultaneously assigned to the second local computer network.

34. The address-assigning computer device according to claim 33, comprising a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP)-type server.

35. A computer network, comprising:

a plurality of gateway devices, each gateway device for coupling to one or more computer devices associated therewith;

a service-providing network including one or more servers;

the plurality of gateway devices and the service-providing network operative to communicate over a communication link;

each gateway device operative for;

receiving traffic from a computer device;

masking a destination address of the traffic with a mask which allows addressing to the service providing network but disallows direct addressing to computer devices associated with the plurality of gateway devices; and

transmitting, over the communication link, traffic addressed to the service providing network.

36. The computer network according to claim 35, further comprising:

the gateway device being further operative for;

not transmitting, over the communication link, traffic addressed to the computer devices coupled associated with the plurality of gateway devices.

37. The computer network according to claim 35, wherein the communication link comprises a wireless communication link.

38. The computer network according to claim 35, wherein the gateway device comprises a wireless transceiver unit.

39. The computer network according to claim 35, further comprising:

wherein each gateway device comprises a wireless transceiver unit; and

a wireless base unit coupled to the service providing network; and

the wireless base unit for facilitating a wireless communication link between the wireless base unit and the plurality of wireless transceiver units.

40. A method for use in facilitating communication in a computer network involving one or more computer devices coupled to a gateway, the method comprising:

monitoring, at the gateway, communications involving address assignment between an address-assigning computer device and a computer device; and

storing, at the gateway, an association between a physical address of the computer device and an address that was assigned to the computer device by the address-assigning computer device.

41. The method according to claim 40, further comprising:

receiving, at the gateway, traffic with the same address that was assigned to the computer device; and

sending, from the gateway, the traffic to the computer device using the stored association.

42. The method according to claim 40, further comprising:

identifying, from the communications involving the address assignment, the physical address and the assigned address.

43. The method according to claim 40, wherein the address that was assigned to the computer device comprises an IP address.

44. The method according to claim 40, wherein the physical address comprises a Medium Access Channel (MAC) address of the computer device.

45. The method according to claim 40, wherein the computer device comprises a personal computer (PC).

46. The method according to claim 40, wherein the gateway comprises a wireless transceiver and the one or more computer devices comprises personal computers (PCs).

47. The method according to claim 40, wherein the address-assigning computer device comprises a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP)-type server.