Patent ID: 8107475

Claim:
A method for routing IPv4 packets based on a variation in a version field of a header of the IPv4 packets, the method comprising: receiving a first IPv4 packet at a router, wherein the header of the first IPv4 packet includes a first value in the version field; identifying a first routing address from the first value in the version field of the first IPv4 packet in combination with a destination address within the header of the first IPv4 packet; sending the first IPv4 packet to a first destination terminal based on the identified first routing address; receiving a second IPv4 packet at the router, wherein the header of the second IPv4 packet includes a second value in the version field; identifying a second routing address from the second value in the version field of the second IPv4 packet in combination with a destination address within the header of the first IPv4 packet, wherein the second value is distinct from the first value in the version field; and sending the second IPv4 packet to a second destination terminal based on the identified second routing address.