System and method for selecting internet service providers from a workstation that is connected to a local area network

• US 6,748,439 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1999
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Calix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Accelerated Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Finlay, Sean, Monachello, David R., de Lange, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US09/370,105
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227-229, 709/203, 707/10, 705/32, 705/412, 725/1, 725/30, 725/99, 713/201, 713/156, 713/155, 370/232-234, 370/352, 455/432, 455/433, 340/810, 340/825, 379/230, 379/112.01, 379/201.03
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A method for dynamically selecting a network service provider is disclosed. The method allows a user to select a default route for an internet connection in a network configuration having a local area network workstations coupled to the network, customer premises equipment and a central office. Multiple network service providers may be selected for an individual workstation. The method may include simultaneously connecting the workstation to the network service providers.

Claims

1. A method of a workstation in a local area network (LAN) for accessing a wide area network (WAN), the method comprising:

receiving a request to select a network service provider (NSP) from a workstation, the request using a first IP address of the workstation assigned by a customer premise equipment (CPE) located on premises of a customer having one or more workstations coupled to the CPE;

presenting, in response to the request via a Web server capable of serving requests from the first IP address, a list of at least one NSP to a user of the workstation;

selecting by the user at a Web page maintained by the Web server at least one NSP from the list independently from other workstations of the LAN, wherein the selection of the at least one NSP is maintained by a central office (CO) communicatively coupled to the CPE and one or more NSPs of the list over a network;

switching the workstation'"'"'s IP address from the first IP address to a second IP address assigned by the selected at least one NSP without rebooting the workstation; and

thereafter accessing the WAN through the selected at least one NSP using the second IP address, wherein requests for accessing the WAN are routed to the selected at least one NSP by the CO based on the NSP selection information maintained by the CO.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the CPE a request for the first IP address during an initialization of the workstation; and

assigning the first IP address to the workstation in response to the request, the first IP address being issued from a DHCP server within the CPE.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a connection from the CO to the selected at least one NSP to request the second IP address from the selected at least one NSP, in response to the selection of the at least one NSP;

receiving the second IP address from the selected at least one NSP; and

forwarding the second IP address to the CPE which in turn assigns the second IP address to the workstation over the network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected at least one NSP includes a first NSP and a second NSP, and the method further comprises:

directing a portion of a network traffic associated with the workstation to the first NSP; and

simultaneously directing a remainder of the network traffic to the second NSP.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprises:

directing a first portion of the network traffic having a first network protocol to the first NSP; and

simultaneously directing a second portion of the network traffic having a second network protocol to the second NSP.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprises:

directing a first portion of the network traffic associated with a first application to the first NSP; and

simultaneously directing a second portion of the network traffic associated with a second application to the second NSP.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a virtual connection between the workstation and each of the selected at least one NSP to handle network traffic between the workstation and each of the selected at least one NSP simultaneously and independently.

8. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable code stored thereon, which, when executed by a system, causes the system to:

receive a request to select a network service provider (NSP) from a workstation, the request using a first IP address of the workstation assigned by a customer premise equipment (CPE) located on premises of a customer having one or more workstations coupled to the CPE;

present, in response to the request via a Web server capable of serving requests from the first IP address, a list of at least one NSP to a user of the workstation;

select by the user at a Web page maintained by the Web server at least one NSP from the list independently from other workstations of the LAN, wherein the selection of the at least one NSP is maintained by a central office (CO) communicatively coupled to the CPE and one or more NSPs of the list over a network;

switch the workstation'"'"'s IP address from the first IP address to a second IP address assigned by the selected at least one NSP without rebooting the workstation; and

thereafter access the WAN through the selected at least one NSP using the second IP address, wherein requests for accessing the WAN are routed to the selected at least one NSP by the CO based on the NSP selection information maintained by the CO.

9. The article of claim 8, further comprising computer readable code for:

receiving at the CPE a request for the first IP address during an initialization of the workstation; and

assigning the first IP address to the workstation in response to the request, the first IP address being issued from a DHCP server within the CPE.

10. The article of claim 8, further comprising computer readable code for:

establishing a connection from the CO to the selected at least one NSP to request the second IP address from the selected at least one NSP, in response to the selection of the at least one NSP;

receiving the second IP address from the selected at least one NSP; and

forwarding the second IP address to the CPE which in turn assigns the second IP address to the workstation over the network.

11. The article of claim 8, wherein the selected at least one NSP includes a first NSP and a second NSP, the article further comprises:

computer readable code for directing a portion of a network traffic associated with the workstation to the first NSP; and

computer readable code for simultaneously directing a remainder of the network traffic to the second NSP.

12. The article of claim 11, further comprises:

computer readable code for directing a first portion of the network traffic having a first network protocol to the first NSP; and

computer readable code for simultaneously directing a second portion of the network traffic having a second network protocol to the second NSP.

13. The article of claim 11, further comprises:

computer readable code for directing a first portion of the network traffic associated with a first application to the first NSP; and

computer readable code for simultaneously directing a second portion of the network traffic associated with a second application to the second NSP.

14. The article of claim 8, further comprising computer readable code for creating a virtual connection between the workstation and each of the selected at least one NSP to handle network traffic between the workstation and each of the selected at least one NSP simultaneously and independently.

15. An apparatus of a workstation in a local area network (LAN) for accessing a wide area network (WAN), the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request to select a network service provider (NSP) from a workstation, the request using a first IP address of the workstation assigned by a customer premise equipment (CPE) located on premises of a customer having one or more workstations coupled to the CPE;

means for presenting, in response to the request via a Web server capable of serving requests from the first IP address, a list of at least one NSP to a user of the workstation;

means for selecting by the user at a Web page maintained by the Web server at least one NSP from the list independently from other workstations of the LAN, wherein the selection of the at least one NSP is maintained by a central office (CO) communicatively coupled to the CPE and one or more NSPs of the list over a network;

means for switching the workstation'"'"'s IP address from the first IP address to a second IP address assigned by the selected at least one NSP without rebooting the workstation; and

thereafter means for accessing the WAN through the selected at least one NSP using the second IP address, wherein requests for accessing the WAN are routed to the selected at least one NSP by the CO based on the NSP selection information maintained by the CO.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the selected at least one NSP includes a first NSP and a second NSP, and the apparatus further comprises:

means for directing a portion of a network traffic associated with the workstation to the first NSP; and

means for simultaneously directing a remainder of the network traffic to the second NSP.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprises:

means for directing a first portion of the network traffic having a first network protocol to the first NSP; and

means for simultaneously directing a second portion of the network traffic having a second network protocol to the second NSP.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprises:

means for directing a first portion of the network traffic associated with a first application to the first NSP; and

means for simultaneously directing a second portion of the network traffic associated with a second application to the second NSP.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising means for creating a virtual connection between the workstation and each of the selected at least one NSP to handle network traffic between the workstation and each of the selected at least one NSP simultaneously and independently.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the selected at least one NSP is different from NSPs selected by the other workstations of the LAN.