Patent ID: 7734789

Claim:
A method of establishing a communication link from an originating user to a destination, wherein the destination has multiple access points, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an incoming tunnel connection from the originating user, wherein the incoming tunnel connection is associated with a first call identifier; in response to receiving the incoming tunnel connection, establishing an incoming tunnel, and determining that a switched tunnel is to be made to the destination in accordance with information relating to the originating user, wherein the switched tunnel is different from the incoming tunnel, the switched tunnel is associated with a second call identifier, and the second call identifier is different from the first call identifier; determining that the switched tunnel to the destination has not already been established; in response to determining that the switched tunnel to the destination has not already been established, establishing the switched tunnel to the destination; intelligently switching the switched tunnel to the destination, wherein the intelligent switching is in accordance with a selection among the multiple access points of the destination; and using the switched tunnel to the destination by switching encapsulated user data traffic from the incoming tunnel to the switched tunnel, wherein the switching involves using a lookup table when changing the first call identifier in the encapsulated user data traffic to the second call identifier.