An address management apparatus for communication over the Multipath Transmission Control Protocol, MPTCP, comprising: a processing module, configured to allocate a corresponding IP address to an MPTCP session, wherein the MPTCP session is an MPTCP session between a first host and a second host, the first host is a host supporting MPTCP, the second host is a host not supporting MPTCP, and the IP address is used to set up a TCP session with the second host; and when the MPTCP session is terminated, further configured to release the corresponding IP address allocated to the MPTCP session; and a transceiver module, configured to set up the MPTCP session according to the IP address;, wherein the transceiver module is specifically further configured to receive an MPTCP subflow setup request message from the first host, wherein the MPTCP subflow setup request message is used to instruct to set up an initial MPTCP subflow between a first interface of the first host and the second host; and the processing module is specifically further configured to determine whether another MPTCP session has been set up on the first interface of the first host, and if the another MPTCP session has been set up on the first interface of the first host, allocate the IP address, wherein the IP address is a first IP address corresponding to the another MPTCP session, or the IP address is a newly allocated second IP address; and further configured to set up an MPTCP subsession with the first host according to the first IP address, and set up a TCP session with the second host according to the first IP address; or set up an MPTCP subsession with the first host according to the second IP address, and set up a TCP session with the second host according to the second IP address. a processing module, configured to allocate a corresponding IP address to an MPTCP session, wherein the MPTCP session is an MPTCP session between a first host and a second host, the first host is a host supporting MPTCP, the second host is a host not supporting MPTCP, and the IP address is used to set up a TCP session with the second host; and when the MPTCP session is terminated, further configured to release the corresponding IP address allocated to the MPTCP session; and a transceiver module, configured to set up the MPTCP session according to the IP address;, wherein the transceiver module is specifically further configured to receive an MPTCP subflow setup request message from the first host, wherein the MPTCP subflow setup request message is used to instruct to set up an initial MPTCP subflow between a first interface of the first host and the second host; and the processing module is specifically further configured to determine whether another MPTCP session has been set up on the first interface of the first host, and if the another MPTCP session has been set up on the first interface of the first host, allocate the IP address, wherein the IP address is a first IP address corresponding to the another MPTCP session, or the IP address is a newly allocated second IP address; and further configured to set up an MPTCP subsession with the first host according to the first IP address, and set up a TCP session with the second host according to the first IP address; or set up an MPTCP subsession with the first host according to the second IP address, and set up a TCP session with the second host according to the second IP address. <EOS>