Patent ID: 7639689
Filing Date: 2009-12-29
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for exchanging packets of user data between a terminal of a first network and a service provider of a second network, wherein the first network is connected to the second network by a gateway which has a unique connection to the service provider, the terminal has a first address which is unique within the first network, and the terminal is configurable with a second address which uniquely identifies a particular service from the service provider and which is unique within the second network, the method comprising the steps of: allocating the first address being unique within the first network to the terminal; sending a first packet of user data containing the first and second address from the terminal to the service provider which identifies the first packet by the presence of the second address and extracts the first address from the first packet; and sending a second packet of user data containing the first address from the service provider to the terminal which identifies the second packet by the presence of the first address, wherein the unique connection is a virtual connection and the service provider uniquely identifies the gateway based upon the identity of the virtual connection on which the first packet from the gateway arrives at the service provider and the unique connection is established through ATM VP/VC addressing and/or VLAN IDs, and the service provider performs VLAN stacking.