Patent ID: 7305466

Claim:
A method of diagnosing a problem in a network impacting communication between a network user and a destination machine in the data network comprising: establishing communication between a diagnostic unit and the network user using a protocol stack adapted to establish communication with the network user even if the network user is attempting to communicate using a protocol or configuration that is inconsistent with a protocol or configuration of the destination machine; simulating, with said diagnostic unit, the destination machine to said network user by receiving first data from the network user, generating second data simulating a response of the destination machine to the first data and sending the second data to the network user; determining with said diagnostic unit the presence of a problem with said network user based at least in part on information gathered during the act of simulating; and if a problem is determined, storing an indicator of the problem on a computer-readable medium, wherein said diagnostic unit is located remotely to said network user and said destination machine.