Method and software product for identifying network devices having a common geographical locale

• US 20070115998A1
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Adrian Mcelligott
• Original Assignee: Adrian Mcelligott
• Inventors: McElligott, Adrian
• Application Number:
  US11/548,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20070115998A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

A method and software product for identifying network devices having a common geographical locale. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods to associate a geographical location with network data including network edge address data and corresponding pivot data comprising storing network data with corresponding known geographical locations, subsequent to ascertaining new network data checking if pivot data contained therein matches pivot data of said stored network data, and if so associating the new network data with a geographical location previously associated with said matched pivot data.

Claims

1. A method to associate a geographical location with network data including network edge address data and corresponding pivot data, the method including the steps of:

storing network data with corresponding known geographical locations;

subsequent to ascertaining new network data checking if pivot data contained therein matches pivot data of said stored network data; and

if so

associating the new network data with a geographical location previously associated with said matched pivot data.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network data comprises any one of the following:

network edge address data associated with a remote user identifier;

or

network edge address data associated with a network support device address.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the network data comprises network edge address data associated with a remote user identifier and wherein the network edge address data comprises the pivot data.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the network data comprises network edge address data associated with a remote user identifier and wherein the remote user identifier comprises the pivot data.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein the network data comprises network edge address data associated with a network support device address and wherein the network support device address data comprises the pivot data.

6. A method according to claim 5, further including ascertaining the network support device address across a computer network by:

obtaining stateful packet inspection (SPI) data from a reply packet from a remote computer connected to the network support device;

transmitting a number of probe packets addressed to the remote computer, said packets incorporating sufficient of said SPI data for the probe packets to be passed by SPI security devices of the computer network; and

deriving the network support device address on the basis of reply packets generated in response to at least some of the number of probe packets.

7. A method according to claim 6, including adjusting time-to-live (TTL) values of the probe packets so that they take a range of TTL values wherein the TTL to the remote computer falls within said range whereby at least some of the probe packets fall short of the remote computer thereby eliciting said reply packets.

8. A method according to claim 7, including:

determining probe packets having the greatest TTL of said range to elicit a reply packet;

obtaining the IP Address of a device of origin of the reply packet; and

deducing the network support device address on the basis of said IP Address.

9. A method according to claim 7, including:

sending the probe packets with consecutively increasing TTL values until an ICMP reply packet is not received, whereby the last received reply packet is sent from the network support device.

10. A method according to claim 7, including:

sending the probe packets with consecutively decreasing TTL values until an ICMP reply packet is received, whereby the received reply packet is sent from the network support device.

21. A method according to claim 10, including:

establishing a connection with a remote computer;

obtaining a user identifier provided by an operator of the remote computer;

determining a geographical location corresponding to the username from the record; and

associating the geographical location with a subnet address derived from the connection.

24. A computer software product containing instructions for execution by one or more processors in order to implement a method according to claim 1.

11. A method for deriving information about a remote network connection across a computer network, the method including the steps of:

obtaining stateful packet inspection (SPI) data from a reply packet solicited from a remote computer party to the remote network connection;

transmitting a number of probe packets addressed to the remote computer, said packets incorporating sufficient SPI data for the probe packets to be passed by SPI security devices of the computer network; and

deriving the information on the basis of reply packets generated in response to at least some of the number of probe packets.

12. A method according to claim 11, including adjusting the time-to-live (TTL) values of the probe packets so that they take a range of TTL values wherein the TTL to the remote computer falls within said range whereby at least some of the probe packets fall short of the remote computer thereby eliciting said reply packets.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the information about the remote network connection comprises the address of the router to which the remote computer is attached.

14. A method according to claim 13, including:

determining probe packets having the greatest TTL of said range to elicit a reply packet;

obtaining the IP Address of a device of origin of the reply packet; and

deducing the address of the router to which the remote computer is attached on the basis of said IP Address.

15. A method according to claim 14, including:

sending the probe packets with consecutively increasing TTL values until a reply packet is not received from a router, whereby the last received reply packet is sent from the closest router to the remote computer.

16. A method according to claim 14, including:

sending the probe packets with consecutively decreasing TTL values until a reply packet is received from a router, whereby the received reply packet is sent from the closest router to the remote computer.

17. A method according to claim 14, including:

maintaining a record of subnet addresses; and

determining whether or not the reply packet has been solicited from a remote computer whose subnet address is already recorded in said record.

18. A method according to claim 17, including adding the subnet address to said record if the subnet address is not already recorded in said record.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein each address indicator in said record has an associated username.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein each address indicator in said record will have an associated geographical location.

22. A method according to claim 11 including:

corresponding the determined geographic location with one of a plurality of stored advertisements each having an associated geographic location; and

displaying the corresponding advertisement on a website to which the remote computer is connected.

23. A method according to claim 14, including:

establishing a connection with a remote computer;

determining a subnet address for the remote computer;

determine the identity of a router that services the subnet address;

retrieving a geographical location corresponding to the router identity; and

associating the geographical location with the subnet address.

25. A computer software product containing instructions for execution by one or more processors to implement a method according to claim 11.