Utilizing Proxy Internet Protocol Addressing in a Gateway for Communicating with Multiple Service Provider Networks

• US 20120011274A1
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moreman, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 9,787,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/287 Remote access server, e.g. BRAS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• 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 61/2528 Translation at a proxy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network

Abstract

A gateway utilizes a proxy Internet Protocol (“IP”) addressing scheme to communicate with disparate network service providers. A first IP address prefix may be received from an alternative service provider in communication with the gateway. The gateway may assign a proxy IP address from the first IP address prefix for computing devices in communication with the gateway. A second IP address prefix may be received from a master service provider in communication with the gateway. The computing devices may be provisioned with an actual IP address assigned from the second IP address prefix. The gateway may then route data traffic utilizing the assigned proxy IP address between the alternative service provider and the computing devices utilizing the actual assigned proxy IP address. The gateway may further route data traffic utilizing the actual assigned IP address between the master service provider and the computing devices utilizing the actual assigned IP address.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing proxy Internet protocol (IP) addressing in a gateway for communicating with a plurality of different service providers, comprising:

receiving, at the gateway, a first IP address prefix from an alternative service provider in communication with the gateway, the first IP address prefix comprising a range of IP addresses;

assigning, within the gateway, a proxy IP address from the first IP address prefix for at least one computing device in communication with the gateway;

receiving, at the gateway, a second IP address prefix from a master service provider in communication with the gateway, the second IP address prefix comprising a range of IP addresses;

assigning, within the gateway, an actual IP address from the second IP address prefix for the at least one computing device in communication with the gateway, wherein the at least one computing device is provisioned with the actual IP address assigned from the second IP address prefix.

forwarding, through the gateway, data traffic between the alternative service provider utilizing the proxy IP address and the at least one computing device utilizing the actual IP address; and

routing, through the gateway, data traffic utilizing the actual assigned IP address between the master service provider and the at least one computing device utilizing the actual IP address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping the proxy IP address to the actual IP address assigned by the master service provider.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the gateway, downstream data traffic from the alternative service provider destined for the at least one computing device, the downstream data traffic comprising the proxy IP address in a destination IP address field.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

removing the proxy IP address from the downstream data traffic;

requesting information from a mapping table to determine the actual IP address; and

substituting the actual IP address in the destination IP address field of the downstream data traffic.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, at the gateway, a first IP address prefix from an alternative service provider in communication with the gateway comprises receiving the first IP address prefix from an IP video service provider.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, at the gateway, a second IP address prefix from the master service provider comprises receiving the second IP address prefix from a public Internet service provider.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning, within the gateway, a proxy IP address from the first IP address prefix corresponding to the alternative service provider for at least one computing device in communication with the gateway comprises assigning a logical Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address from an IPv6 address prefix corresponding to the alternative service provider for the at least one computing device in communication with the gateway.

8. A gateway for utilizing proxy Internet protocol (IP) addressing to communicate with a plurality of different service providers, comprising:

a first wide area network (WAN) interface in communication with an alternative service provider;

a second WAN interface in communication with a master service provider;

a local area network (LAN) interface in communication with a routing module;

at least one computing device, in communication with the LAN interface;

the routing module operative to;

receive a first IP address prefix from the alternative service provider over the first WAN interface, the first IP address prefix comprising a range of IP addresses;

assign a proxy IP address from the first IP address prefix for at least one computing device;

receive a second IP address prefix from the master service provider over the second WAN interface, the second IP address prefix comprising a range of IP addresses;

assign an actual IP address from the second IP address prefix for at least one computing device, wherein the at least one computing device is provisioned with an actual IP address assigned from the second IP address prefix;

forward data traffic between the alternative service provider utilizing the proxy IP address and the at least one computing device utilizing an actual IP address; and

route data traffic utilizing the actual assigned IP address between the master service provider and the at least one computing device utilizing the actual IP address.

9. The gateway of claim 8, wherein the routing module is further operative to map the proxy IP address to the actual IP address.

10. The gateway of claim 8, wherein the routing module is further operative to receive downstream data traffic from the alternative service provider destined for the at least one computing device, the downstream data traffic comprising the proxy IP address in a destination IP address field.

11. The gateway of claim 10, wherein the routing module is further operative to:

remove the proxy IP address from the downstream data traffic;

request information from a mapping table to determine the actual IP address; and

substitute the actual IP address in the downstream data traffic.

12. The gateway of claim 8, wherein the first IP address prefix is received from a public Internet service provider.

13. The gateway of claim 8, wherein the second IP address prefix is received from an IP video service provider.

14. The gateway of claim 8, wherein the proxy IP address comprises a logical Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address.

15. A method of utilizing proxy Internet protocol (IP) addressing in a gateway for communicating with a plurality of different service providers, comprising:

receiving, at the gateway, upstream data traffic from at least one computing device;

determining, at the gateway, whether to direct the upstream data traffic to an alternative service provider;

comparing, by the gateway, an actual IP address in an IP source field in the upstream data traffic with information in a mapping table, wherein the actual IP address is assigned by the gateway from an IP address prefix provided by a master service provider;

removing, by the gateway, the actual IP address from the IP source field;

substituting, by the gateway, the actual IP address with a proxy IP address;

routing, by the gateway, the upstream data traffic to the alternative service provider utilizing the proxy IP address; and

routing, by the gateway, the upstream data traffic to the master service provider utilizing the actual IP address upon determining not to direct the upstream data traffic to the alternative service provider.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining, at the gateway, whether to direct the upstream data traffic to an alternative service provider comprises:

examining a destination IP address of the upstream data traffic;

comparing the destination IP address to information in a route-forwarding table; and

determining, based on the comparison, to direct the upstream data traffic to the alternative service provider.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining, based on the comparison, to direct the upstream data traffic to the alternative service provider comprises determining a match between the destination IP address and the information in the route-forwarding table.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein substituting, by the gateway, the actual IP address with a proxy IP address comprises substituting an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address with a logical IPv6 address.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein routing, by the gateway, the upstream data traffic to the alternative service provider utilizing the proxy IP address comprises routing the upstream data traffic to a public Internet service provider.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein routing, by the gateway, the upstream data traffic to the master service provider utilizing the actual IP address upon determining not to direct the upstream data traffic to the alternative service provider comprises routing the upstream data traffic to an IP video service provider.