Configurable Wan/Lan bridge
First Claim
1. A remote access including:
- at least two communication channels, including a first communication channel coupled a first network and a second communication channel coupled to a second network, and each of said at least two communication channels configured to support a transfer of a plurality of data packets;
a first port that couples the first communication channel to the first network using a first protocol;
a second port that couples the second communication channel to the second network using a second protocol;
a first medium access controller that is coupleable to the first port and the second port to transmit and receive at least a data packet in the plurality of data packets;
a second medium access controller that is coupleable to the first port and the second port to transmit and receive at least a data packet in the plurality of data packets;
a bus connecting said first and said second medium access controllers to pass at least some of the plurality of data packets received by one of said first and said second medium access controllers to an other of said first and said second medium access controllers;
a switch and conversion unit to selectively connect said first medium access controller to one of the first or second communication channel, and said second medium access controller to an other of the first or second communication channel,wherein the switch and conversion unit is configurable to connect the first medium access controller to the first communication channel so that a data packet in the plurality of data packets with a destination identifier corresponding to said first medium access controller is received by said first medium access controller, and transmitted by said second medium access controller to the second communication channel, said switch and conversion unit being able to convert the data packet received by the first medium access controller from the first protocol of the first port to the second protocol of the second port by first converting the data packet to an intermediate protocol; and
a packet processor connected to said bus, said packet processor adapted to be forwarded said data packet received by said first medium access controller, and to pass said data packet to said second medium access controller after attaching a header to the said data packet, the header corresponding to a destination on the second network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for connecting networks includes at least two communication channels, a first and a second medium access controller, a bus, and a configurable switch. Each of the communication channels is configured to support a transfer of data packets. The first and second medium access controller is configured to transmit and receive data packets. A data packet received by one of the medium access controllers is transmitted by the other of the medium access controllers. The configurable switch connects the first and second medium access controllers to one of the communication channels and the second medium access controller to the other of the communication channels. The connections between the medium access controllers and the communicatoin channels can be reconfigured statically or dynamically by the configurable switch. The communication channels may operate on different physical protocols. A conversion unit is provided to convert a packet received by one medium access controller in a first protocol to a second physical protocol. A packet processor is provided to extract a destination header from a data packet, append a destination header, and pass the destination header and data packet to the second medium access controller.
The present invention can also be characterized as a method for statically and dynamically altering the connections of a medium access controller to one of at least two communication channels.
77 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A remote access including:
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at least two communication channels, including a first communication channel coupled a first network and a second communication channel coupled to a second network, and each of said at least two communication channels configured to support a transfer of a plurality of data packets; a first port that couples the first communication channel to the first network using a first protocol; a second port that couples the second communication channel to the second network using a second protocol; a first medium access controller that is coupleable to the first port and the second port to transmit and receive at least a data packet in the plurality of data packets; a second medium access controller that is coupleable to the first port and the second port to transmit and receive at least a data packet in the plurality of data packets; a bus connecting said first and said second medium access controllers to pass at least some of the plurality of data packets received by one of said first and said second medium access controllers to an other of said first and said second medium access controllers; a switch and conversion unit to selectively connect said first medium access controller to one of the first or second communication channel, and said second medium access controller to an other of the first or second communication channel, wherein the switch and conversion unit is configurable to connect the first medium access controller to the first communication channel so that a data packet in the plurality of data packets with a destination identifier corresponding to said first medium access controller is received by said first medium access controller, and transmitted by said second medium access controller to the second communication channel, said switch and conversion unit being able to convert the data packet received by the first medium access controller from the first protocol of the first port to the second protocol of the second port by first converting the data packet to an intermediate protocol; and a packet processor connected to said bus, said packet processor adapted to be forwarded said data packet received by said first medium access controller, and to pass said data packet to said second medium access controller after attaching a header to the said data packet, the header corresponding to a destination on the second network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for connecting a medium access controller to one of at least two communication channels, each communication channel operating under a different protocol, said medium access controller equipped to transmit outgoing data packets with a source identifier corresponding to said medium access controller, and to receive incoming data packets which include a destination identifier corresponding to said medium access controller, and said method comprising:
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detecting a switch request to connect the medium access controller to a selected one of said at least two communication channels;
then detecting that the medium access controller is available; andconnecting said medium access controller to said selected one of said at least two communication channels to receive or transmit a data packet in either the first or second protocol from the selected communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification