SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ESTABLISHING A VIRTUAL LOCAL AREA NETWORK

• US 20130111002A1
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hurricane Electric
• Original Assignee: Hurricane Electric
• Inventors: Leber, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 10,320,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Systems and methods for establishing a virtual local area network are provided herein. According to some embodiments, methods for establishing a virtual local area network include determining at least a first data protocol utilized by a first communications device via a registration server, the first communications device being communicatively coupled with at least a first network via the first data protocol version; determining at least a second data protocol utilized by a second communications device via the registration server, the second communications device being communicatively coupled with at least a second network via the second data protocol version; establishing a network connection between the first communications device and the second communications device; and converting data format of data exchanged between the first and second communications devices when the first data protocol differs from the second data protocol.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a virtual local area network, the method comprising:

determining a first data protocol for at least a first network utilized by a first communications device, via a registration server;

determining a second data protocol for at least a second network utilized by a second communications device, via the registration server;

establishing a network connection between the first communications device and the second communications device;

converting a data format of data exchanged between the first and second communications devices based upon the first data protocol and the second data protocol when the first data protocol differs from the second data protocol;

evaluating a plurality of networks available to the first communications device to determine a network with a highest bandwidth of each of the plurality of networks; and

selecting the network for the first communications device based on the highest bandwidth of the plurality of networks relative to one another.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first data protocol comprises Internet protocol version four (“

IPV4”

) and the second data protocol comprises Internet protocol version six (“

IPV6”

).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein optimizing further comprises:

reevaluating the plurality of the networks continuously; and

selecting a new network connection if a current network has at least one of a higher latency and a lower bandwidth than the new network.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein converting further comprises at least one of error correcting and encrypting data exchanged between the first and second communications devices.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a size for a maximum transmission unit for at least one of the first data protocol and the second data protocol; and

compressing data exchanged between the first and second communications devices when the data exceeds the size of the maximum transmission unit.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing includes the first communication device automatically determining a network address for the second communication device when the first communication device accesses the first network.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication device and the second communication device are preconfigured to locate one another upon both the first communication device accessing the first network and the second communication device accessing the second network.

21. The method according to claim 1, further comprising establishing a second network connection between the first communications device and the second communications device, the second network connection for sending error correction codes in parallel with data being communicated between the first and second communications devices on the network connection.

22. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating a plurality of networks available to the second communications device to determine a network with a lowest latency of each of the plurality of networks; and

selecting the network for the second communications device based on the lowest latency of the plurality of networks relative to one another.

3. (canceled)

9. A system for establishing virtual local area network, the system comprising:

a first communications device that utilizes at least a first data protocol to communicatively couple with at least a first network;

a second communications device that utilizes at least a second data protocol to communicatively couple with at least a second network;

a registration server communicatively coupled with the first and second communications devices, the registration server including a memory for storing executable instructions, the instructions being executable by a processor to;

determine the first data protocol utilized by the first communications device;

determine the second data protocol utilized by a second communications device;

establish a network connection between the first communications device and the second communications device;

convert a data format of data exchanged between the first and second communications devices based upon the first data protocol and the second data protocol when the first data protocol differs from the second data protocol;

evaluate a plurality of network connections available to the first communications device to determine a preferred network with a lowest latency of each of the plurality of networks; and

select the network for the first communications device based upon the lowest latency of the plurality of networks relative to one another.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first data protocol comprises Internet protocol version four (“

IPV4”

) and the second data protocol comprises Internet protocol version six (“

IPV6”

).

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first communications device further:

reevaluates the plurality of the networks continuously; and

reselects a new network connection if a current network has at least one of a higher latency and a lower bandwidth than the new network.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the registration server further converts by at least one of error correcting and encrypting the data exchanged between the first and second communications devices.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the registration server further:

determines a size for a maximum transmission unit for at least one of the first data protocol and the second data protocol;

compresses data exchanged between the first and second communications devices when the data exceeds the size of the maximum transmission unit.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first communication device is configured to automatically determine a network address for the second communication device when the first communication device accesses the first network connection.

23. The system according to claim 9, wherein the instructions are further executable by a processor to establish a second network connection between the first communications device and the second communications device, the second network connection for sending error correction codes in parallel with data being communicated between the first and second communications devices on the network connection.

24. The system according to claim 9, wherein the instructions are further executable by a processor to:

evaluate a plurality of network connections available to the second communications device to determine a preferred network with a highest bandwidth of each of the plurality of networks; and

select the network for the second communications device based upon the highest bandwidth of the plurality of networks relative to one another.

11. (canceled)

16. -20. (canceled)

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium having recorded thereon a program, the program when executed causing a computer to perform a method, the method establishing a virtual local area network, the method comprising:

determining a first data protocol for at least a first network utilized by a first communications device, via a registration server;

determining a second data protocol for at least a second network utilized by a second communications device, via the registration server;

establishing a first network connection between the first communications device and the second communications device;

converting a data format of data exchanged between the first and second communications devices based upon the first data protocol and the second data protocol when the first data protocol differs from the second data protocol;

establishing a second network connection between the first communications device and the second communications device, the second network connection for sending error correction codes in parallel with data being communicated between the first and second communications devices on the first network connection.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 25, further comprising:

determining a size for a maximum transmission unit for at least one of the first data protocol and the second data protocol; and

compressing data exchanged between the first and second communications devices when the data exceeds the size of the maximum transmission unit.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the first communications device further:

evaluates a plurality of network connections available to the first communications device to determine a preferred network with at least one of;

a lowest latency of each of the plurality of networks; and

a highest bandwidth of each of the plurality of networks;

selects the network for the first communications device based upon at least one of the lowest latency and the highest bandwidth of the plurality of networks relative to one another; and

evaluates and selects for the second communications device.