Patent ID: 8549117

Claim:
A machine-implemented method for performing a network address translator traversal for a host of a third generation partnership project (3GPP) network to acquire a global Internet protocol (IP) address and a global port using existing 3GPP protocols, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, at a serving gateway device, an ACTIVATE PACKET DATA PROTOCOL (PDP) CONTEXT REQUEST message from a host, the ACTIVATE PDP CONTEXT REQUEST message being compatible with 3GPP network protocols, wherein the ACTIVATE PDP CONTEXT REQUEST message includes a global reachability request option that requests a global IP address and a global port to be allocated to the host; in response to the ACTIVATE PDP CONTEXT REQUEST message, transmitting a CREATE PDP CONTEXT REQUEST message from the serving gateway device to an Internet gateway device, the CREATE PDP CONTEXT REQUEST message including the global reachability request option from the ACTIVATE PDP CONTEXT REQUEST message, wherein the CREATE PDP CONTEXT REQUEST message is compatible with the 3GPP network protocols; receiving, at the serving gateway device, a CREATE PDP CONTEXT RESPONSE message from the Internet gateway, the CREATE PDP CONTEXT RESPONSE message being compatible with the 3GPP network protocols, wherein the CREATE PDP CONTEXT RESPONSE message includes a global reachability response option specifying therein a global IP address and a plurality of global ports allocated to the host; and in response to the CREATE PDP CONTEXT RESPONSE message, transmitting an ACTIVATE PDP CONTEXT ACCEPT message from the serving gateway device to the host, the ACTIVATE PDP CONTEXT ACCEPT message including the global reachability response option that specifies the global IP address and the plurality of global ports, wherein the plurality of global ports are used by a plurality of applications of the host without each of the plurality of applications reserving a separate port with the serving gateway device, wherein the ACTIVATE PDP CONTEXT ACCEPT message is compatible with the 3 GPP network protocols.