Patent ID: 7480710
Filing Date: 2009-01-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of interfacing devices of a private network with a public network, wherein the devices communicate with each other, and each device has a local Internet protocol (IP) address and a unique media access control (MAC) address, the method comprising: determining whether the local IP address for each device in the private network is dynamically or statically configured, wherein the local IP address is the same for each of at least two devices in the private network when at least one of the devices is determined to be statically configured; associating a global IP address to each device in the private network by mapping the global IP address to the local IP address and the unique MAC address of each device, the global IP address being the same as the local IP address when the local IP address is determined to be dynamically configured, the global IP address being distinct from the local IP address when the local IP address is determined to be statically configured; translating for each outbound packet from each device, the local IP address to the global IP address associated with each device, each outbound packet traveling from the private network to the public network, wherein network address translation is used for translating the local IP address to the global IP address when the local IP address is determined to be statically configured; and routing each inbound packet in the private network to an appropriate destination device based on the association of the global IP address with the local IP address and the unique MAC address corresponding to the appropriate destination device, each inbound packet traveling from the public network to the private network, wherein network address translation is used for converting the global IP address to the local IP address for routing to the appropriate destination device when the local IP address is determined to be statically configured.