A router element for a network system comprising router elements, node elements and one or more authentication servers, the router element comprising means for: establishing and accepting an authenticated and encrypted connection with a neighboring router element, comprising using a valid certificate for both peers of the connection; transmitting routing information to a connected neighboring router element; receiving routing information from a connected neighboring router element; accepting an authentication request from a node element on the basis of authentication information received from an authentication server; establishing an encrypted connection with an authenticated node element, comprising using a valid certificate for both peers of the connection; routing packets from a first node element to a second node element based on received routing information through one or more simultaneous and parallel transmission paths formed by a plurality of node-router connections and/or router-router connections , each of the connections being associated with a set cost factor indicating a cost in terms of finances, wherein a route from the first node element to the second node element having the lowest cost factor is preferred in the routing; maintaining a transmission path regardless of changes in router-router connections between said first and said second node element based on received routing information as long as at least one continuous and functional transmission path exists between said node elements; accepting connections from IP-based networks and non-IP sources; and converting packets from IP-based network to non-IP recipient and from non-IP source to IP-based network. establishing and accepting an authenticated and encrypted connection with a neighboring router element, comprising using a valid certificate for both peers of the connection; transmitting routing information to a connected neighboring router element; receiving routing information from a connected neighboring router element; accepting an authentication request from a node element on the basis of authentication information received from an authentication server; establishing an encrypted connection with an authenticated node element, comprising using a valid certificate for both peers of the connection; routing packets from a first node element to a second node element based on received routing information through one or more simultaneous and parallel transmission paths formed by a plurality of node-router connections and/or router-router connections , each of the connections being associated with a set cost factor indicating a cost in terms of finances, wherein a route from the first node element to the second node element having the lowest cost factor is preferred in the routing; maintaining a transmission path regardless of changes in router-router connections between said first and said second node element based on received routing information as long as at least one continuous and functional transmission path exists between said node elements; accepting connections from IP-based networks and non-IP sources; and converting packets from IP-based network to non-IP recipient and from non-IP source to IP-based network. <EOS>