IP network for accomodating mobile users with incompatible network addressing
First Claim
1. A method of providing network connections for visiting nodes at a remote network, the visiting nodes being configured to connect through a home network that is remote from the remote network, the method comprising:
- establishing a virtual gateway on the remote network for a visiting node by responding to a message from the visiting node addressed to a default gateway on the home network of the visiting node, which virtual gateway behaves as the home default gateway for the visiting node; and
in a packet received at the virtual gateway, switching a home IP address of the visiting node with a globally unique outside address provided by the remote network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An flexible address translation method allows a computer network to automatically learn that a visiting node has attached and then automatically establish a virtual gateway so that the visiting node can communicate through the network with local nodes, other visiting nodes, and/or Internet sites. The network performs an address translation to enable the connectivity of the visiting node. The network maintains one or more globally unique outside addresses that point to it. In other words, packets addressed to the one or more outside addresses are routed to the network. When a visiting node connects to the network, the network translates the source address of packets from the node to a particular one of its outside addresses. The network also replaces destination addresses in packets received by the network that are addressed to the particular outside address. Specifically, the network replaces the globally unique outside address with the “home” address of the visiting node. Thereafter, the packet is forwarded to the visiting node, which is now connected to the network.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of providing network connections for visiting nodes at a remote network, the visiting nodes being configured to connect through a home network that is remote from the remote network, the method comprising:
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establishing a virtual gateway on the remote network for a visiting node by responding to a message from the visiting node addressed to a default gateway on the home network of the visiting node, which virtual gateway behaves as the home default gateway for the visiting node; and
in a packet received at the virtual gateway, switching a home IP address of the visiting node with a globally unique outside address provided by the remote network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus configured to provide network connections for visiting nodes at a remote network, the visiting nodes being configured to connect through a home network that is remote from the remote network, the apparatus comprising:
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one or more processors;
a memory in communication with at least one of the processors;
an address translation list including one or more translation entries, each specifying a home IP address of the visiting node and a globally unique outside address, wherein the globally unique outside address is provided by the remote network and the home IP address is the IP address of the visiting node on its home network, and wherein at least one of the processors and the memory is configured or designed to act as a virtual gateway on the remote network for a visiting node, which virtual gateway behaves as the home default gateway for the visiting node by responding to a message from the visiting node addressed to a default gateway on the home network of the visiting node. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer program product comprising:
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(a) a machine readable medium; and
(b) program instructions contained in the machine readable medium, the program instructions specifying a method for providing network connections for visiting nodes at a remote network, the visiting nodes being configured to connect through a home network that is remote from the remote network, the method comprising;
establishing a virtual gateway on the remote network for a visiting node by responding to a message from the visiting node addressed to a default gateway on the home network of the visiting node, which virtual gateway behaves as the home default gateway for the visiting node; and
in a packet received at the virtual gateway, switching a home IP address of the visiting node with a globally unique outside address provided by the remote network. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification