Patent ID: 7782878
Filing Date: 2010-08-24
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of sharing an IP address, the method comprising: receiving, at a VoIP subscriber gateway, data indicating assignment of an external IP address by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to a computer coupled to the VoIP subscriber gateway, the external IP address enabling the computer to communicate over the Internet via an Internet access device coupled to the VoIP subscriber gateway and via the ISP; reserving, at the VoIP subscriber gateway, a port number for use solely by the VoIP subscriber gateway for a telephone coupled to the VoIP subscriber gateway; creating, at the VoIP subscriber gateway, packets related to the data received from the telephone using the external IP address assigned to the computer and the port number reserved by the VoIP subscriber gateway; sending the packets over the Internet to a VoIP service provider gateway via the Internet access device and the ISP; receiving at the VoIP subscriber gateway at least one packet from the computer, wherein the at least one packet from the computer contains a source IP address and a source port number; sending the at least one packet received at the VoIP subscriber gateway over the Internet via the Internet access device using the external IP address when the at least one packet received from the computer uses the external IP address as the source address and does not use the port number reserved by the VoIP subscriber gateway as the source port number; and discarding the at least one packet received at the VoIP subscriber gateway from the computer when the at least one packet uses the external IP address as the source address and uses the port number reserved by the VoIP subscriber gateway as the source port number.