System and method for network address translation as an external service in the access server of a service provider
First Claim
1. A system for network address translation within a router of an Internet service provider, comprising:
- means for receiving a datagram from the Internet whose destination is specified by a globally unique Internet Protocol (IP) address;
means for mapping said globally unique IP address to a locally significant IP address; and
means for routing said datagram to a stub router located in a stub network, wherein said stub network includes the destination specified by said locally significant IP address.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method provides network address translation as an external service for private networks. Given the fact that local office networks (i.e., stub networks) are typically assigned only one globally unique IP address (or a small set of addresses), the invention presents a novel service provider access server (e.g., router) which performs basic network address translation (NAT) and network address port translation (NAPT) for such networks. The system allows NAT and NAPT features to be removed from stub network routers, thereby significantly reducing the cost of Internet infrastructure to individual companies and organizations. NAT features on service provider'"'"'s access servers provide the ability for multiple hosts in disparate private (unregistered) networks to utilize the services of a service provider, using a single global address for each private network and allow private networks to avoid renumbering with access to each new service provider.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A system for network address translation within a router of an Internet service provider, comprising:
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means for receiving a datagram from the Internet whose destination is specified by a globally unique Internet Protocol (IP) address; means for mapping said globally unique IP address to a locally significant IP address; and means for routing said datagram to a stub router located in a stub network, wherein said stub network includes the destination specified by said locally significant IP address. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing an application program to execute on a computer that performs network address translation within an Internet service provider router, said computer readable program code means comprising:
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a first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive a datagram from the Internet whose destination is specified by a globally unique Internet Protocol (IP) address; a second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to map said globally unique IP address to a locally significant IP address; and a third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to route said datagram to a stub router located in a stub network, wherein said stub network includes the destination specified by said locally significant IP address. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A method for network address translation within a router of an Internet service provider, comprising the steps of:
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(1) receiving a datagram from the Internet whose destination is specified by a globally unique Internet Protocol (IP) address; (2) mapping said globally unique IP address to a locally significant IP address; and (3) routing said datagram to a stub router located in a stub network, wherein said stub network includes the destination specified by said locally significant IP address. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A system for performing network address translation within the Internet, comprising:
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a service provider access server; and an office network; wherein said service provider access server performs network address translation (NAT) and network address port translation (NAPT) as an external service for said office network and wherein said office network comprises; a plurality of computer workstations connected via a local network; and a stub router connected to said plurality of computer workstations via said local network. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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Specification