Patent ID: 7716338

Claim:
A method for facilitating communications between a user element and a protected network resource comprising: a) establishing a first tunneling session with the user element via a first access network; b) assigning to the user element a first target network protected address for addressing packets intended for the protected network resource and traveling in part over the first tunneling session; c) establishing a second tunneling session with the user element via a second access network; d) reassigning to the user element the first target network protected address for addressing packets intended for the protected network resource and traveling in part over the second tunneling session, wherein the first target network protected address is reassigned to the user element only when the second tunneling session is established within a predetermined period of time from termination or last use of the first tunneling session; and e) assigning to the user element a second target network protected address for addressing packets intended for the protected network resource and traveling in part over the second tunneling session when the second tunneling session is not established within the predetermined period of time.