Patent ID: 8856372

Claim:
A method for peer-to-peer communication in an aggregation network, said aggregation network having a plurality of end user devices, said end user devices being capable of acting as a source device or a target device, wherein each end user device is connected to said aggregation network through one of a plurality of access nodes, and a gateway provides for communication outside of the aggregation network, said method comprising the steps of: implementing a Downstream Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) proxy and a respective ARP Cache in each of the access nodes, said ARP Cache storing an <Internet Protocol (IP) address, Media Access Control (MAC) address> pair for each end user device in the aggregation network, and storing a <source device, target device> pair for each pair of end user devices for which peer-to-peer communications are allowed; intercepting by the Downstream ARP proxy in one of the access nodes, a Downstream ARP request from a source device for a target end user device; determining by the Downstream ARP proxy, whether an <IP address, MAC address> pair for the target end user device is stored in the ARP Cache; when an <IP address, MAC address> pair for the target end user device is stored in the ARP Cache, determining whether a <source device, target device> pair for the source device and the target device is stored in the ARP Cache; sending by the Downstream ARP proxy, an ARP reply to the source device only when an <IP address, MAC address> pair for the target end user device and a <source device, target device> pair for the source device and the target device are stored in the ARP Cache, said ARP reply including the MAC address of the target device; and when an <IP address, MAC address> pair for the target end user device is not stored in the ARP Cache, sending no reply by the Downstream ARP proxy.