Management of LAN devices behind firewalls via dual mode mobile device

• US 20060270448A1
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harrington, Kendra S., Huotari, Allen J., McRae, Matthew B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,697,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for enabling a service provider to manage a service node that is separated from the service provider by a firewall. A dual-mode mobile device establishes separate secure connections with the service provider and the service node. The mobile device can then serve as a bridge between the service provider and the service node so that a secure management session can be initiated between the service provider and the service node. A method of managing a service node includes: establishing a first secure connection between a dual-mode mobile device and the service node; establishing a second secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device and a remote system; and initiating a secure management session between the service node and the remote system via the first secure connection and the second secure connection.

Claims

1. A method of managing a service node, comprising:

establishing a first secure connection between a dual-mode mobile device and the service node;

establishing a second secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device and a remote system; and

initiating a secure management session between the service node and the remote system via the first secure connection and the second secure connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said service node comprises a wireless access point; and

said establishing the first secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device in the service node comprises establishing the first secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device and the wireless access point via a wireless local area network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said establishing the second secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device and the remote system comprises establishing the second secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device and the remote system via a mobile communications network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said initiating the secure management session comprises utilizing the dual-mode mobile device to translate Internet Protocol (IP) domains from a mobile communications network to a private IP domain of the service node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said service node is coupled to a wide-area network (WAN) via a firewall.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

said establishing the second secure connection comprises establishing the second secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device and the remote system via a tunnel through the firewall.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said establishing the second secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device and the remote system comprises receiving an input at the dual-mode phone to initiate the second secure connection.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

said establishing the second secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device and the remote system comprises establishing the second secure connection for a predetermined duration.

9. A dual-mode network device, comprising:

a first interface for establishing a first secure connection between the dual-mode network device and a service node in a local area network (LAN) with the dual-mode network device;

a second interface for establishing a second secure connection between the dual-mode network device and a remote system; and

control logic configured to initiate a secure management session between the service node and the remote system via the first secure connection and the second secure connection.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein:

said service node comprises a wireless access point; and

said second interface is configured to establish the first secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device and the wireless access point via a wireless local area network.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein:

said second interface is configured to establish the second secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device and the remote system via a mobile communications network.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein:

said control logic is configured to translate Internet Protocol (IP) domains from a mobile communications network to a private IP domain of the service node.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein:

said service node is coupled to a wide-area network (WAN) via a firewall.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein:

said second interface is configured to establish the second secure connection between the dual-mode mobile device and the remote system via a tunnel through the firewall.

15. The device of claim 9, further comprising:

a user interface;

wherein said control logic is configured to initiate the second secure connection in response receiving an input at the user interface.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein:

said control logic is configured to establish the second secure connection for a predetermined duration.

17. A dual-mode network device, comprising:

a means for establishing a first secure connection between the dual-mode network device and a service node;

a means for establishing a second secure connection between the dual-mode network device and a remote system; and

a means for establishing a secure management session between the remote system and the service node by transmitting data communications received from the remote system to the service node.