System and method for establishing network connection with unknown network and/or user device
First Claim
1. A method of establishing a communications path for a user host device through a foreign gateway, wherein the user host device is configured to communicate through a home gateway by using an IP address of the home gateway, and wherein the foreign gateway has an IP address different from the home gateway, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving at the foreign gateway an ARP request packet transmitted from the user host device over the communications path, wherein the ARP request packet includes at least a sender IP address that corresponds to an IP address of the user host device, a sender hardware address that correspond to a hardware address of the user host device, and a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the home gateway;
responding by the foreign gateway to the ARP request packet by transmitting over the communications path an ARP response packet that includes at least a sender IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the home gateway, a sender hardware address that corresponds to a hardware address of the foreign gateway, a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the user host device, and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the user host device; and
receiving at the foreign gateway a network packet transmitted from the user host device, wherein the network packet comprises at least a target IP address that is different from the IP address of the home gateway and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the foreign gateway.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for connecting a user device to a network where the user device settings, the network settings, or both are unknown include intercepting packets transmitted by the user device and modifying the packets to be compatible with the network. The system and method are particularly suited for use by mobile computers, such as laptop computers, which are connected to various foreign networks. Depending upon the particular application, a device may be carried with the mobile computer, or attached as a node on the network. The device automatically determines the network settings of the user device and/or the network and modifies packets appropriately so that the user device can communicate over the network without having to reconfigure the user device with appropriate settings for each network it may encounter. Communication settings such as network address, gateway, proxy address, etc. are automatically determined using various techniques.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A method of establishing a communications path for a user host device through a foreign gateway, wherein the user host device is configured to communicate through a home gateway by using an IP address of the home gateway, and wherein the foreign gateway has an IP address different from the home gateway, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving at the foreign gateway an ARP request packet transmitted from the user host device over the communications path, wherein the ARP request packet includes at least a sender IP address that corresponds to an IP address of the user host device, a sender hardware address that correspond to a hardware address of the user host device, and a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the home gateway;
responding by the foreign gateway to the ARP request packet by transmitting over the communications path an ARP response packet that includes at least a sender IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the home gateway, a sender hardware address that corresponds to a hardware address of the foreign gateway, a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the user host device, and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the user host device; and
receiving at the foreign gateway a network packet transmitted from the user host device, wherein the network packet comprises at least a target IP address that is different from the IP address of the home gateway and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the foreign gateway. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of establishing a communications path between a user host device and a foreign gateway, wherein the user host device is configured to communicate through a home gateway by using an IP address of the home gateway, and wherein the foreign gateway has an IP address different from the home gateway, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an ARP request packet transmitted from the user host device over the communications path, wherein the ARP request packet includes at least a sender IP address that corresponds to an IP address of the user host device, a sender hardware address that correspond to a hardware address of the user host device, a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the home gateway;
responding to the ARP request packet by transmitting over the communications path an ARP response packet that includes at least a sender IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the home gateway, a sender hardware address that corresponds to a hardware address of the foreign gateway, a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the user host device, and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the user host device; and
receiving at the foreign gateway a network packet transmitted from the user host device, wherein the network packet comprises at least a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the home gateway and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the foreign gateway. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system that establishes a communications path for a user host device through a foreign gateway, wherein the user host device is configured to communicate through a home gateway by using an IP address of the home gateway, and wherein the foreign gateway has an IP address different from the home gateway, the system comprising:
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a foreign gateway configured to receive communications from the user host device, such that the foreign gateway receives an ARP request packet transmitted from the user host device over the communications path, wherein the ARP request packet includes at least a sender IP address that corresponds to an IP address of the user host device, a sender hardware address that correspond to a hardware address of the user host device, and a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the home gateway;
the foreign gateway further configured to respond to the ARP request packet by transmitting over the communications path an ARP response packet that includes at least a sender IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the home gateway, a sender hardware address that corresponds to a hardware address of the foreign gateway, a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the user host device, and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the user host device; and
the foreign gateway further configured to receive a network packet transmitted from the user host device, wherein the network packet comprises at least a target IP address that is different from the IP address of the home gateway and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the foreign gateway. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A system that establishes a communications path between a user host device and a foreign gateway, wherein the user host device is configured to communicate through a home gateway by using an IP address of the home gateway, and wherein the foreign gateway has an IP address different from the home gateway, the system comprising:
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a foreign gateway configured to receive communications from the user host device, such that the foreign gateway receives an ARP request packet transmitted from the user host device over the communications path, wherein the ARP request packet includes at least a sender IP address that corresponds to an IP address of the user host device, a sender hardware address that correspond to a hardware address of the user host device, and a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the home gateway;
the foreign gateway further configured to respond to the ARP request packet by transmitting over the communications path an ARP response packet that includes at least a sender IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the home gateway, a sender hardware address that corresponds to a hardware address of the foreign gateway, a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the user host device, and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the user host device; and
the foreign gateway further configured to receive a network packet transmitted from the user host device, wherein the network packet comprises at least a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the home gateway and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the foreign gateway. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A network device comprising:
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a memory;
a broadcast handling function in the memory;
a processor executing the broadcast handling function;
a network interface configured to receive a resolution packet transmitted by a first device, the resolution packet including a sender IP address that corresponds to an IP address of the first device, a sender hardware address that corresponds to a hardware address of the first device, and a target IP address that corresponds to an IP address of a second device, the broadcast handling function adapted to responsively create a reply packet including a sender IP address that corresponds to an IP address of the second device, a sender hardware address that corresponds to a hardware address of the network device, a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the first device, and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the first device, the broadcast handling function initiating transmission of the reply packet via the network interface; and
the network interface further configured to receive a network packet transmitted by the first device, the network packet including a target IP address that is different from the IP address of the second device and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the network device. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A network device comprising:
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a memory;
a broadcast handling function in the memory;
a processor executing the broadcast handling function;
a network interface configured to receive a resolution packet transmitted by a first device, the resolution packet including a sender IP address that corresponds to an IP address of the first device, a sender hardware address that corresponds to a hardware address of the first device, and a target IP address that corresponds to an IP address of a second device, the broadcast handling function adapted to responsively create a reply packet including a sender IP address that corresponds to an IP address of the second device, a sender hardware address that corresponds to a hardware address of the network device, a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the first device, and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the first device, the broadcast handling function initiating transmission of the reply packet via the network interface; and
the network interface further configured to receive a first network packet transmitted by the first device, the first network packet including a target IP address that corresponds to the IP address of the second device and a target hardware address that corresponds to the hardware address of the network device. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55)
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Specification