Patent ID: 7602784

Claim:
A method of transmitting a UDP data packet from a first computer to a second computer over a wide area computer network, said first computer having a first internal network address and a designated internal port from which it will transmit the UDP data packet and said second computer having a second internal network address and a designated internal port at which it will receive the UDP data packet, wherein said first computer is protected by a first firewall which translates said first internal network address to a first external network address when communicating over said wide area computer network, and said second computer is protected by a second firewall which translates said second internal network address to a second external network address when communicating over said wide area computer network, said first and second firewalls communicating over said wide area computer network, said method using a designated recipient computer in communication with said first and second computers via said wide area computer network, said method comprising: (a) said first computer sending a first UDP data packet to said designated recipient computer using its designated internal transmitting port, and said second computer sending a second UDP data packet to said designated recipient computer using its designated internal receiving port; (b) said designated recipient computer communicating said first external network address and said designated internal transmitting port determined from said first UDP data packet to said second computer, and communicating said second external network address and said designated internal receiving port determined from said second UDP data packet to said first computer; (c) said second computer sending a UDP data packet using its designated internal receiving port to said first external network address and the designated internal transmitting port of said first computer; (d) said first computer sending a UDP data packet using its designated internal transmitting port to said second external network address and the designated internal receiving port of said second computer; wherein said second computer sends said UDP data packet to said first computer prior to said first computer sending said UDP data packet to said second computer.