Method for addressing an IP network connecting to another IP network

• US 9,253,147 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3G Licensing S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Binet, David, Noisette, Yoann
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Houshmand, Hooman
• Application Number:
  US11/577,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20080144639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,795 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/668 Internet protocol [IP] address subnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

To enable a visitor network to access a host network, a method includes steps in which a router of a visitor network connects to a router of a host network and transmits to it an address request message containing an identifier of the visitor router. The host router extracts, from the address request message received, the identifier of the visitor router, and transmits, to the visitor router, an address assignment message containing either an address or an address prefix of the host network, depending on the identifier of the visitor router extracted from the address request message.

Claims

1. A method for a visitor network associated with an original network to access, by a visitor router, a host network by a host router, the host network being different than the original network,

the method comprising:

storing, in a database connected to the host router, a list of identifiers of visitor routers authorized to access the host network,

and upon an attempt by the visitor router to connect to the host router;

transmitting, from the visitor router to the host router, an address request message containing an identifier of the visitor router;

extracting, by the host router, the identifier of the visitor router from the address request message received;

verifying, by the host router in the database, whether the extracted identifier of the visitor router appears in the database, and

in response, depending on the result of the verification, selecting and performing actions A or B of a set of actions comprising A and B, wherein;

A) if the extracted identifier appears in the database as being authorized to integrate the host network,

transmitting, from the host router to the visitor router, an address assignment message containing an IP address prefix delegated by the host router, and

using, by the visitor router, the IP address prefix for configuring IP addresses of the terminals of the visitor network so that they may integrate the host network; and

B) if the extracted identifier appears in the database as not being authorized to integrate the host network,

transmitting, from the host router to the visitor router, an address assignment message containing an IP address assigned by the host router, and

using, by a mobility mechanism of the visitor router, the IP address as a “

Care-Of Address”

for terminals of the visitor network which are thus not configured with IP addresses of the addressing plan of the host network and cannot therefore access services related to this addressing plan.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to the transmission of the address request message from the visitor router to the host router, steps of:

determining, by the host router, whether access to the host network is authorized, and depending on the results of the determination,

transmitting, from the host router to the visitor router, a message of consent or refusal, if the message is a refusal of access to the host network, terminating the procedure, and

if the message is a consent of access, then proceeding with the remaining steps.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the address assignment message contains an identifier of the host router.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the address assignment message is not generated in accordance with a NAT or an IPSec protocol.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the visitor router is assigned a requestor router identifier, and the host router is assigned a delegator router identifier.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the requestor router identifier is sent in the address request message, and the delegator router identifier is sent in the address assignment message.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the database comprising a list of identifiers of visitor routers authorized to access the host network is kept up-to-date by an administrative terminal of the host network, which can thus authorize or refuse new visitor routers.

8. A host router for connection of a visitor network by a visitor router to a host network different from an original network associated with the visitor network, the host router being connected to a previously-stored database storing a list of identifiers of visitor routers authorized to access the host network,

the host router comprising:

a processor programmed to, in response to an attempt by a visitor router to connect to the host network;

receive, from the visitor router, an address request message,

extract the identifier of the visitor router from the address request message received,

verify, in the database, whether the extracted identifier of the visitor router appears in the database; and

in response, depending on the result of the verification,

select and perform actions A or B of a set of actions comprising A and B;

wherein;

A) if the extracted identifier appears in the database as being authorized to integrate the host network, transmit, to the visitor router, an address assignment message containing an IP address prefix delegated by the host router, such that the IP address prefix may be used by the visitor router for configuring IP addresses of the terminals of the visitor network so that they may integrate the host network,

B) if the extracted identifier appears in the database as not being authorized to integrate the host network, transmit, to the visitor router, an address assignment message containing an IP address assigned by the host router, such that the IP address may be used by a mobility mechanism of the visitor router as a “

Care-Of Address”

for the terminals of the visitor network which are thus not configured with IP addresses of the addressing plan of the host network and cannot therefore access services related to this addressing plant.

9. The host router according to claim 8, wherein the processor of the host router is configured to determine whether access to the host network is authorized, and to refuse any connection attempt by a visitor router unless access to the host network is authorized.

10. The host router according to claim 8, wherein the processor of the host router is configured to insert an identifier into the address assignment message.

11. A visitor router for connection of a visitor network, associated with an original network, to a host network by a host router, the host router being connected to a previously-stored database storing a list of identifiers of visitor routers authorized to access the host network,

the visitor router being connected to a memory storing a visitor identifier and comprising:

a processor programmed to, upon an attempt to connect to the host network;

insert the stored identifier into an address request message,

transmit the address request to the host router, and

after extraction by the host router of the identifier of the visitor router from the address request message received and verification by the host router of the extracted identifier of the visitor router in the database,

in response and depending on the result of the verification, performing actions A or B, of a set of actions comprising A and B, as follows;

A) receive from the host router, if the extracted identifier appears in the database as being authorized to integrate the host network, an address assignment message containing an IP address prefix delegated by the host router, such that the visitor router may use the IP address prefix for configuring IP addresses of the terminals of the visitor network so that they may integrate the host network,

and

B) receive from the host router, if the extracted identifier appears in the database as not being authorized to integrate the host network, an address assignment message containing an IP address assigned by the host router, such that a mobility mechanism of the visitor router may use the IP address as a “

Care-Of Address”

for terminals of the visitor network which are thus not configured with IP addresses of the addressing plan of the host network and cannot therefore access services related to this addressing plan and may not integrate the host network.

12. A system comprising a visitor router connected to a visitor network and associated with an original network and a host router connected to a host network and a previously-stored database comprising a list of identifiers of visitor routers authorized to access the host network,

wherein the host router comprises a host router processor configured to receive an address request message coming from another router, the host router processor being:

programmed to receive an address request message transmitted by a visitor router that attempts to connect to the host network,

configured to extract, from each received address message request, an identifier of the visitor router that has transmitted the address request message,

configured to verify, in the database, whether the extracted identifier of the visitor router appears in the database, and

configured to perform actions A or B, of a set of actions comprising A and B, as follows;

A) select and transmit to the visitor router, if the extracted identifier appears in the database as being authorized to integrate the host network, an address assignment message containing an IP address prefix delegated by the host router, such that the visitor router may use the IP address prefix for configuring IP addresses of the terminals of the visitor network so that they may integrate the host network,

and

B) select and transmit to the visitor router, if the extracted identifier appears in the database as not being authorized to integrate the host network, an address assignment message containing an IP address assigned by the host router, such that a mobility mechanism of the visitor router may use the IP address as a “

Care-Of Address”

for terminals of the visitor network, which are thus not configured with IP addresses of the addressing plan of the host network and cannot therefore access services related to this addressing plan,

wherein the visitor router comprises a visitor router processor configured to transmit an address request message intended for the host router, wherein the visitor router processor includes a memory for storing an identifier, and wherein the visitor router processor further is configured to

insert the identifier into the address request message, and

in response to the address request message, after verification by the host router of the extracted identifier of the visitor router in the database comprising the list of identifiers of visitor routers authorized or not authorized to access the host network, performing actions A or B, of a set of actions comprising A and B, as follows;

A) receive from the host router, if the extracted identifier appears in the database as being authorized to integrate the host network, an address assignment message containing an IP address prefix delegated by the host router, such that the visitor router may use the IP address prefix for configuring IP addresses of the terminals of the visitor network so that they may integrate the host network,

B) receive from the host router, if the extracted identifier appears in the database as not being authorized to integrate the host network, an address assignment message containing an IP address assigned by the host router, such that a mobility mechanism of the visitor router may use the IP address as a “

Care-Of Address”

for the terminals of the visitor network which are thus not configured with IP addresses of the addressing plan of the host network and cannot therefore access services related to this addressing plan.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the visitor router is assigned a requestor router identifier, and the host router is assigned a delegator router identifier.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the requestor router identifier is sent in the address request message, and the delegator router identifier is sent in the address assignment message.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the database comprising a list of identifiers of visitor routers authorized to access the host network is kept up-to-date by an administrative terminal of the host network, which can thus authorize or refuse new visitor routers.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program product for a visitor network associated with an original network to access, by a visitor router, a host network connected to a host router and different than the original network, the host router being also connected to a previously-stored database comprising a list of identifiers of visitor routers authorized to access the host network,

the computer program product comprising program code instructions that, when executed by a visitor router on the visitor network, perform the following operations:

attempting to connect the router of the visitor network to a router of the host network;

transmitting, from the visitor router to the host router, an address request message containing an identifier of the visitor router;

after extraction by the host router of the identifier of the visitor router from the address request message received and verification by the host router of the extracted identifier of the visitor router in the database,

in response, and depending on the result of the verification, actions A or B of a set of actions comprising A and B, wherein;

A) if the extracted identifier appears in the database as being authorized to integrate the host network,

receiving, by the visitor router from the host router, an address assignment message containing an IP address prefix delegated by the host router, and

using, by the visitor router, the IP address prefix for configuring IP addresses of the terminals of the visitor network so that they may integrate the host network,

and

B) if the extracted identifier appears in the database as not being authorized to integrate the host network,

receiving, by the visitor router from the host router, an address assignment message containing an IP address assigned by the host router, and

using, by a mobility mechanism of the visitor router, the IP address as a “

Care-Of Address”

for terminals of the visitor network which are thus not configured with IP addresses of the addressing plan of the host network and cannot therefore access services related to this addressing plan.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the computer readable media comprises router-readable recording medium on which the program code instructions are recorded.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program product for a visitor network associated with an original network to access, by a visitor router, a host network connected to a host router and different than the original network, the host router being also connected to a previously-stored database comprising a list of identifiers of visitor routers authorized to access the host network,

the computer program product comprising program code instructions that, when executed by a host router on the host network, perform the following operations:

upon an attempt by the visitor router to connect to the host network;

receiving, from the visitor router, an address request message containing an identifier of the visitor router;

extracting the identifier of the visitor router from the address request message received,

verifying, in the database whether the extracted identifier of visitor router appears in the database, and

in response, depending on the result of the verification, selecting and performing actions A or B of a set of actions comprising A and B, wherein;

A) if the extracted identifier appears in the database as being authorized to integrate the host network, transmitting, to the visitor router, an address assignment message containing an IP address prefix delegated by the host router, such that the visitor router may use the IP address prefix for configuring IP addresses of the terminals of the visitor network so that they may integrate the host network,

and

B) if the extracted identifier appears in the database as not being authorized to integrate the host network, transmitting, to the visitor router, an address assignment message containing an IP address assigned by the host router, such that a mobility mechanism of the visitor router may use the IP address as a “

Care-Of Address”

for terminals of the visitor network which are thus not configured with IP addresses of the addressing plan of the host network and cannot therefore access services related to this addressing plan.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer readable media comprises router-readable recording medium on which the program code instructions are recorded.