Network address translation based on a reverse domain name service

• US 8,279,776 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Everson, John Michael, Delker, Jason R., Norris, James Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Renner, Brandon
• Application Number:
  US12/605,935
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 370/354, 370/338, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2582 through control of the NAT server, e.g. using universal plug and play [UPnP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

In a communication system, a gateway receives an IP message having source IP address and port number and having a destination IP address and port number. The gateway system transfers the IP message with a different destination IP address. A base station receives the IP message and wirelessly transfers the IP message to a routing system. The routing system transfers a reverse DNS query for the source IP address and receives a DNS reply indicating a domain name. The routing system selects a network address translation set based on the domain name, translates a destination port number into another destination IP address using the network address translation set, and transfers the IP message with the other destination IP address.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication system comprising:

in a gateway system, receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) message sourced from a source IP address and a first port number and directed to a public IP address of a destination and a second port number, processing the public IP address of the destination to identify an intermediate IP address associated with a routing system, and transferring the IP message directed to the intermediate IP address;

in a base station, receiving the IP message, and in response to the intermediate IP address, wirelessly transferring the IP message to the routing system;

in the routing system, wirelessly receiving the IP message, transferring a reverse Domain Name Service (DNS) query for the source IP address, receiving a reverse DNS reply indicating a domain name for the source IP address, selecting one of a plurality of network address translation sets based on the domain name, translating the second port number into a local IP address of the destination using the selected one of the network address translation sets, and transferring the IP message directed to the local IP address of the destination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the gateway system comprises a radio access network gateway and the base station comprises a radio access network base station.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the base station and the routing system wirelessly communicate using a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the base station and the routing system wirelessly communicate using a Long Term Evolution protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a user system is associated with the domain name and the domain name is associated with the selected one of the network address translation sets, wherein the user system:

obtains the source IP address from a dynamic IP address pool;

associates the source IP address with the domain name in a DNS;

transfers the IP message sourced from the source IP address.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the intermediate IP address comprises a radio access network address, and the local IP address comprises a local area network IP address.

7. A method of operating a communication routing system comprising:

in a communication transceiver, receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) message having a source IP address, public destination IP address, and destination port number;

in a processing system, initiating a reverse Domain Name Service (DNS) query for the source IP address;

in the communication transceiver, transferring the reverse DNS query and receiving a reverse DNS reply indicating a domain name for the source IP address;

in the processing system, selecting one of a plurality of network address translation sets based on the domain name, translating the destination port number into a local destination IP address using the selected one of the network address translation sets, and initiating a transfer of the IP message using the local destination IP address; and

in the communication transceiver, transferring the IP message having the local destination IP address.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving the IP message, transferring the reverse DNS query, and receiving the reverse DNS response comprises wirelessly receiving the IP message, wirelessly transferring the reverse DNS query, and wirelessly receiving the reverse DNS response.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein wirelessly receiving the IP message, wirelessly transferring the reverse DNS query, and wirelessly receiving the reverse DNS response comprising using a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX) protocol.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the local IP address comprises a WIMAX system address that was put in the IP message by a WIMAX gateway.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein wirelessly receiving the IP message, wirelessly transferring the reverse DNS query, and wirelessly receiving the reverse DNS response comprising using a Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the local IP address comprises an LTE system address that was put in the IP message by an LTE gateway.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein a user system is associated with the domain name and the domain name is associated with the selected one of the network address translation sets, wherein the user system:

obtains the source IP address from a dynamic IP address pool;

associates the source IP address with the domain name in a DNS;

transfers the IP message having the source IP address.

14. A communication routing system comprising:

a communication transceiver configured to receive an Internet Protocol (IP) message having a source IP address, public destination IP address, and destination port number;

a processing system configured to initiate a reverse Domain Name Service (DNS) query for the source IP address;

the communication transceiver configured to transfer the reverse DNS query and receive a reverse DNS reply indicating a domain name for the source IP address;

the processing system configured to select one of a plurality of network address translation sets based on the domain name, translate the destination port number into a local destination IP address using the selected one of the network address translation sets, and initiate a transfer of the IP message using the local destination IP address; and

the communication transceiver configured to transfer the IP message having the local destination IP address.

15. The communication routing system of claim 14 wherein the communication transceiver is configured to wirelessly receive the IP message, wirelessly transfer the reverse DNS query, and wirelessly receive the reverse DNS response.

16. The communication routing system of claim 15 wherein the communication transceiver is configured to wirelessly receive the IP message, wirelessly transfer the reverse DNS query, and wirelessly receive the reverse DNS response using a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX) protocol.

17. The communication routing system of claim 16 wherein the local IP address comprises a WIMAX system address that was put in the IP message by a WIMAX gateway.

18. The communication routing system of claim 15 wherein the communication transceiver is configured to wirelessly receive the IP message, wirelessly transfer the reverse DNS query, and wirelessly receive the reverse DNS response comprising using a Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol.

19. The communication routing system of claim 18 wherein the local IP address comprises an LTE system address that was put in the IP message by an LTE gateway.

20. The communication routing system of claim 14 wherein a user system is associated with the domain name and the domain name is associated with the selected one of the network address translation sets, wherein the user system:

obtains the source IP address from a dynamic IP address pool;

associates the source IP address with the domain name in a DNS;

transfers the IP message having the source IP address.