A method of sending data packets between a source and a destination through one or more packet handling devices (42,43,44) operable to forward packets through a communications network, comprising the steps of: sending an establish connection packet having a header from the source to a receiving packet handling device (42,43,44), the header of the establish connection packet having a static field and a dynamic field; receiving the establish connection packet at the receiving packet handling device (42,43,44), the receiving packet handling device (42,43,44) including a local router interface table having at least a source index corresponding to an address of a port connected towards the source and a destination index corresponding to an address of a port connected towards the destination; adding index information to the dynamic field of the header of the establish connection packet at the receiving packet handling device (42,43,44), the added index information including at least: the source index from the local router interface table stored in the receiving packet handling device (42,43,44) corresponding to the port connected towards the source, and the destination index from the local router interface table stored in the receiving packet handling device corresponding to the port connected towards the destination; thereafter, sending the establish connection packet towards the destination via the port connected towards the destination; subsequently, repeating the steps of receiving the establish connection packet, adding index information to the dynamic field of the header of the establish connection packet from the local router interface table of the receiving packet handling device and sending the establish connection packet towards the destination until the establish connection packet arrives at the destination; sending an acknowledge connection packet from the destination to the source and including with the acknowledge connection packet at least the source and destination indices added to the establish connection packet by each receiving packet handling device; and sending the data packets from the source to the destination, each data packet sent from the source including destination indices added to the establish connection packet by each receiving packet handling device. sending an establish connection packet having a header from the source to a receiving packet handling device (42,43,44), the header of the establish connection packet having a static field and a dynamic field; receiving the establish connection packet at the receiving packet handling device (42,43,44), the receiving packet handling device (42,43,44) including a local router interface table having at least a source index corresponding to an address of a port connected towards the source and a destination index corresponding to an address of a port connected towards the destination; adding index information to the dynamic field of the header of the establish connection packet at the receiving packet handling device (42,43,44), the added index information including at least: the source index from the local router interface table stored in the receiving packet handling device (42,43,44) corresponding to the port connected towards the source, and the destination index from the local router interface table stored in the receiving packet handling device corresponding to the port connected towards the destination; the source index from the local router interface table stored in the receiving packet handling device (42,43,44) corresponding to the port connected towards the source, and the destination index from the local router interface table stored in the receiving packet handling device corresponding to the port connected towards the destination; thereafter, sending the establish connection packet towards the destination via the port connected towards the destination; subsequently, repeating the steps of receiving the establish connection packet, adding index information to the dynamic field of the header of the establish connection packet from the local router interface table of the receiving packet handling device and sending the establish connection packet towards the destination until the establish connection packet arrives at the destination; sending an acknowledge connection packet from the destination to the source and including with the acknowledge connection packet at least the source and destination indices added to the establish connection packet by each receiving packet handling device; and sending the data packets from the source to the destination, each data packet sent from the source including destination indices added to the establish connection packet by each receiving packet handling device.