Patent ID: 9237102
Filing Date: 2016-01-12
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method for selecting a data path for connecting one or more client devices to a wide area network, the one or more client devices being connected to a router device via a local area network, the method comprising: identifying a plurality of available data paths comprising at least one cellular wireless data path, wherein each of the plurality of available data paths is located between the router device and the wide area network and each of the plurality of available data paths connects the router device to the wide area network, each of the plurality of available data paths being routed via a service provider such that a first of the plurality of available data paths is routed via a first service provider and a second of the plurality of available data paths is routed via a second service provider; obtaining link status information for the plurality of available data paths; processing selection rules with the obtained link status information; selecting one of the plurality of available data paths according to the processing of the selection rules; routing data communications between the local area network and the wide area network via a data exchanger and a remote link that follows the selected data path connecting the router device to the wide area network, the client devices being separate from the routing device, wherein the identifying, obtaining, processing, selecting and routing are carried out by the router device; and wherein the plurality of available data paths are data paths between the wide area network and one or more data exchangers coupled to the router device and wherein obtaining link status information comprises polling the one or more data exchangers for the link status information.