Patent ID: 7283517

Claim:
A multi-media terminal adapter for coupling to a network access module over a communication link, the network access module for communicating IP frames over a frame switched network, the multi-media terminal adapter comprising: a wide area network interface coupled to the communication link for exchanging IP frames with the access module; a local area network interface for receiving outbound data client IP frames from each of a plurality of data clients, each outbound data client IP frame comprising local socket information, the local socket information comprising: a source address that includes a local area network IP address; and a data client port number; a VoIP module for generating outbound VoIP frames, each outbound VoIP frame comprising digital audio media and socket information that includes a VoIP port number selected from a first group of port numbers exclusively reserved for use by the VoIP module; and a router module coupled between the wide area network interface and each of the VoIP module and the local area network interface, the router comprising: means for receiving the outbound data client IP frames and the outbound VoIP frames; means for performing port translation on the outbound data client IP frames to generate translated outbound data client IP frames, each translated outbound data client IP frame comprising payload from the outbound data client IP frame and global socket information comprising a global IP address of the multi-media terminal adapter and a translated port number selected from a second group of port numbers, the second group of port numbers being mutually exclusive of the first group of port numbers and exclusively reserved for port translation of outbound data client IP frames; means for providing the outbound VoIP frames and the translated outbound data client IP frames to the wide area network interface; a translation table storing each translated port number in association with the local area network IP address and the data client port number associated therewith; means for receiving inbound IP frames, each inbound IP frame being addressed to the global IP address and including a destination port number; means for routing the inbound IP frame to the VoIP client if the destination port number is within the first group of port numbers; and means for generating a reverse translated IP frame if the destination port number is within the second group of port numbers, the reverse translated frame comprising payload from the inbound IP frame and including a destination address comprising the local area network IP address and the data client port number, that associated with the translated port number, replacing the global IP address and the destination port number from the inbound frame respectively; and wherein the VoIP module further includes a call set up module for establishing inbound VoIP communication channels by providing a remote VoIP device with the global IP address and an inbound VoIP port number selected from the first group of port numbers.