Patent ID: 8397288

Claim:
A method of extending IPSec communication over a wireless mesh network, the wireless mesh network comprising a plurality of wireless mesh gateways, a plurality of wireless routers, a plurality of intelligent communication devices operating in a smart grid, and a Virtual Private Network (VPN) appliance operative to establish an end-to-end communication tunnel with at least one of the plurality of wireless mesh gateways, the method comprising: establishing a secure connection comprising an outer tunnel between the VPN appliance and at least one of the plurality of wireless mesh gateways; causing at least one wireless routing function to establish a connection with a particular intelligent communications device, wherein corresponding data packets are configured to be received at the particular intelligent communication device; identifying one of a plurality of available paths between a particular wireless mesh gateway and the particular intelligent communication device; establishing an inner tunnel within the outer tunnel for secure communication between the VPN appliance and the particular intelligent communications device; reducing the size of an IP Header to accommodate the transfer of data packets in a low bandwidth network through the inner tunnel established between the VPN appliance and the particular intelligent communications device; and wherein the plurality of intelligent communications devices comprises a diagnostic device operative to measure at least one of a quality of electricity parameter, an electrical consumption parameter, and an electric load parameter.