Patent ID: 6023724
Filing Date: 2000-02-08
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
Apparatus for a network communication device comprising:a processor;a memory, connected to the processor, for storing executable instructions therein; andcommunication circuitry, connected to and controlled by the processor, for establishing a communicative connection between a first network and, via a second network, to at least one host device connected to the second network;wherein, in response to the executable instructions and a failure of a network connection for the one host between the network communication device and the first network, the processor:in response to receipt, from the one host device, of a DNS query message destined, through the network communication device, for the first network, requesting identification of a domains name system (DNS) server residing on the first network for providing translation of a domain name of an associated server accessible through the first network to a network address corresponding to the associated server, intercepts the query message to yield an intercepted query message and issues, in response to the intercepted query message, a DNS reply message, back to the one host device, wherein the DNS reply message specifies, to the one host device and as the network address of the DNS server, a network address associated with the network communication device;in response to a DNS request message, issued by the one host device, to translate the domain name into the network address corresponding to the associated server, the DNS request message containing the network address of the network communication device supplied in the DNS reply message as the network address of the DNS server, supplies a DNS response message containing, as a translated network address for the domain name, the network address of the network communication device in lieu of the network address of the particular server; andin response to a download request from the host to download a default web page residing at a server having the network address specified in the DNS response message, the download request specifying the network address of the network communications device as the translated network address provided in the DNS response message, downloads, from a server in the network communication device, a web page containing failure information, to an application executing at the one host device, wherein the web page specifies a particular fault condition that caused the failure of the network connection so as to provide an indication to a user at the one host device of the cause of the failure.