Method for providing media communication across firewalls
First Claim
1. A system for routing information packets across a firewall to a packet-based communication network, the system comprising a media proxy router, the media proxy router comprising:
- a network interface operable;
to receive a create-pinhole request;
to signal a firewall in response to the create-pinhole request to create a pinhole address in the firewall; and
to receive a first information packet to be transmitted across the firewall via the pinhole address; and
a packet processor coupled to the network interface and operable;
to replace an address in the information packet address header information with the pinhole address created in the firewall; and
to forward the information packet via the network interface to a destination address across the firewall using the pinhole address.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention supports a method for transmitting information packets across network firewalls. A trusted entity is provisioned with an address designation for a pinhole through the firewall during setup of a communication session between two communication devices. This pinhole address is used throughout the communication session between the two communication devices to transmit information packets onto and out of the communication network.
Information packets addressed to the communication device inside the firewall are received by the trusted entity, which replaces address header information in the information packet with the address for the pinhole. The information packet is routed to the pinhole where it passes onto the network for routing to the communication device inside the firewall. Information packets transmitted from the network are also routed to the trusted entity for routing toward the communication device outside the firewall.
34 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A system for routing information packets across a firewall to a packet-based communication network, the system comprising a media proxy router, the media proxy router comprising:
-
a network interface operable; to receive a create-pinhole request; to signal a firewall in response to the create-pinhole request to create a pinhole address in the firewall; and to receive a first information packet to be transmitted across the firewall via the pinhole address; and a packet processor coupled to the network interface and operable; to replace an address in the information packet address header information with the pinhole address created in the firewall; and to forward the information packet via the network interface to a destination address across the firewall using the pinhole address. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A system for using a pinhole communication port of a firewall of a packet-based communication network, the system comprising a media proxy router for location outside of the communication network, the media proxy router comprising:
-
a communication interface operable to couple the media proxy router to the pinhole communication port of the firewall, and operable; to receive a first signal from the communication network, the first signal having an address designation for the pinhole communication port; and to receive a packet transmission to be sent to a communication device inside the communication network; and a packet processor coupled to the communication interface, the packet processor being operable; to place the address designation for the pinhole communication port as the address header of the packet transmission; and to transmit the packet transmission via the communication interface to the pinhole communication port for transmission onto the communication device. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A system for enabling communication through a firewall between a first device outside a communication network and a second device inside the communication network, the system comprising a media proxy router for location outside the communication network, the media proxy router comprising:
-
a communication interface operable to couple the media proxy router to the firewall, the communication interface being operable to receive an information packet transmitted by the first device to the second device, the information packet comprising a first destination address designation; and a packet processor operable; to correlate the first destination address designation with a second destination address designation using a data element stored at the media proxy router; and to transmit the received information packet with the second address designation via the communication interface, the second address designation being an address of a pinhole in the firewall. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification