Patent ID: 7684395

Claim:
A communication system for performing communications over a wide-area network by way of a plurality of communication devices, each of which includes: a management table for storing a plurality of entries including identifiers and control parameters used for performing encrypted communications between first and second communication devices in accordance with a first communication protocol; a setup processing for writing the entry regarding the first communication device and the entry regarding the second communication device into the management table; a communication control for establishing a first connection allowing stored contents of the management table to be transmitted from the first communication device to the second communication device in accordance with a second communication protocol that differs from the first communication protocol, wherein upon request, said communication control establishes a second connection realizing reception of data transmitted thereto from a third communication device in accordance with the second communication protocol; an update processing for receiving at least one entry transmitted thereto via the second connection so as to update the stored contents of the management table except the entry regarding the first communication device; and a publication processing for periodically transmitting the stored contents of the management table via the first connection or for transmitting the stored contents of the management table when the stored contents of the management table are updated.