Patent ID: 6839323

Claim:
A method of monitoring a call with an Internet Protocol (IP) client in an IP-based network having a Gatekeeper that controls the network, a plurality of access routers that provide access to the network, and a Monitoring Station having monitoring facilities and a database of IP clients to be monitored, said method comprising: receiving an access request from the IP client at the Gatekeeper; sending a query from the Gatekeeper to the Monitoring Station asking whether the IP client is to be monitored; receiving a reply sent from the Monitoring Station at the Gatekeeper indicating that the IP client is to be monitored and providing an IP address where monitored packets are to be sent; and sending a monitoring request from the Gatekeeper to an access router associated with the IP client, said request identifying the IP client to be monitored, instructing the access router to monitor the IP client, and providing the IP address where monitored packets are to be sent; receiving an acknowledgment message from the access router at the Gatekeeper; and sending an admission confirm message from the Gatekeeper to the IP client when the acknowledgment message has been received from the access router.