Patent ID: 7933253

Claim:
A method of managing switching of a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel termination point from a first address to a second address, wherein the VPN operates between a fixed network node and a mobile node which defines the termination point, the method comprising the steps of: Requesting that a third party, which is trusted by the fixed network node, allocate an address to the mobile node using an identity used by the mobile node for the VPN tunnel with the fixed network node; Allocating the second address as a new address to the mobile node by the trusted third party; Providing the mobile node with a certificate, containing the second address and the identity, by the trusted third party; switching an address of the mobile node from the first address to the second address; sending a notification containing the certificate from the mobile node to the fixed network node that the address of the mobile node has changed from the first address to the second address; and verifying from the certificate that the second address has been allocated to the mobile node by the trusted third party.