Method of identifying a home gateway using network traffic sniffing and apparatus employing the same

• US 20070058621A1
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Okmianski, Anton, Graham, Mickael, Littlefield, Joshua
• Granted Patent: US 7,505,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers

Abstract

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a customer premises equipment (CPE) apparatus includes a first communications unit, a second communications unit, and a processing unit. The first communications unit is configured to receive an inbound message packet from a first communications channel. The inbound packet includes a destination address. The second communications unit is configured to send an outbound message packet on a second communications channel. The processing unit is configured to generate the outbound packet from the inbound packet where the outbound packet is modified to include a CPE device identifier if the destination address matches a predetermined registration server address. In one embodiment, this enables automatic CPE identification during subscriber registration process.

Claims

1. A customer premises equipment (CPE) apparatus, comprising:

a first communications unit configured to receive an inbound message packet from a first communications channel, the inbound packet including a destination address;

a second communications unit configured to send an outbound message packet on a second communications channel; and

a processing unit configured to generate the outbound packet from the inbound packet, the outbound packet being modified to include a CPE device identifier if the destination address matches a predetermined registration server address.

2. The CPE apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communications channel is different from the second communications channel.

3. The CPE apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory unit configured to store a registration server flag value configured to indicate whether the CPE device identifier was sent in a previous outbound packet to the registration server, the outbound packet being modified to include a CPE device identifier if the registration server flag value indicates the CPE device identifier was not previously sent.

4. The CPE apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a wireless fidelity (WiFi) access point configured to provide wireless local area network (LAN) access to the CPE.

5. The CPE apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a terminal adapter configured to provide network access to a non-network communications device.

6. The CPE apparatus of claim 3, wherein the memory unit stores security credentials adapted for use in establishing and validating service with one or more network services.

7. The CPE apparatus of claim 5, wherein the non-network communication device is a telephone.

8. The CPE apparatus of claim 7, wherein the CPE device identifier is sent to the registration server as a part of a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) provisioning process.

9. A customer premises equipment (CPE) apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving an inbound message packet from a first communications channel, the inbound packet including a destination address;

means for sending an outbound message packet on a second communications channel; and

means for generating the outbound packet from the inbound packet, the outbound packet being modified to include a CPE device identifier if the destination address matches a predetermined registration server address.

10. The CPE apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a memory means for storing and retrieving information including the device identifier, the registration server address, and a registration server flag associated with the registration server address,

wherein the registration server flag has a value that indicates whether the CPE device identifier was sent in a previous outbound packet to the registration server, the outbound packet being modified to include a CPE device identifier if the registration server flag value indicates the destination address did not match the registration server address for a previously sent outbound packet.

11. The CPE apparatus of claim 9, wherein the CPE device identifier is sent to the registration server as a part of a service provider provisioning process.

12. The CPE apparatus of claim 11, wherein the CPE device receives provisioning data associated with the CPE device identifier.

13. A method of providing identifying information from a first network device to second network device, the method comprising the operations of:

receiving an inbound message packet from a first communications channel, the inbound packet including a destination address;

generating an outbound message packet based on the inbound packet;

comparing the destination address to a predetermined registration server address;

modifying the outbound message to include a CPE device identifier if the destination address matches the predetermined registration server address; and

sending the modified outbound message on a second communications channel.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a data portion of the outbound packet is identical with a data portion of the inbound packet except for the addition to the outbound packet of the CPE device identifier.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the CPE device identifier is sent to the registration server as a part of a service provider provisioning process.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

setting a registration server flag corresponding to the registration server address, the registration server flag indicating whether the CPE device identifier was previously sent to the registration server.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving the modified packet including the CPE device identifier;

associating the CPE device with a predetermined user account; and

sending provisioning data to the CPE device at a modified packet source address.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a first message packet from a first communications channel, the first packet including a first source address, a first destination address, and a first data payload;

examining the first data payload to determine if it includes a request for translation of a first URL;

examining a second URL associated with a predetermined registration server; and

storing the first source address and first destination address when the first URL matches the second URL.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a second message packet from a second communications channel, the second packet including a second source address matching the first destination address, a second destination address matching the first source address, and a second data payload containing a translated IP address corresponding to the first URL;

extracting the translated IP address; and

storing the translated IP address as the predetermined registration server address.