Patent ID: 8261341

Claim:
A method comprising: configuring an apparatus that includes an Internet gateway device control point, using a virtual private network configuration service of the Internet gateway device control point, to permit communication between the apparatus and other apparatuses within a first local area network through a first Internet gateway device collocated with a first virtual private network gateway; connecting the apparatus to a second Internet gateway device of a second local area network, the second Internet gateway device being collocated with a second virtual private network gateway, and the second local area network including a second local area network apparatus that is different than the apparatus; and transmitting virtual private network configuration parameters from the apparatus to the second Internet gateway device, the transmitting being performed to configure the second Internet gateway device so as to create a virtual private network tunnel that provides the second local area network apparatus with access to one or more of the other apparatuses within the first local area network, the virtual private network tunnel being between the first virtual private network gateway and the second virtual private network gateway.