Patent ID: 7773532

Claim:
A method for enabling communication between first and second network nodes ( 1 , 7 ) by way of a network address translation device ( 3 , 9 ), which network nodes are each capable of communicating with a server ( 11 ), which method comprises the steps of: causing the first network node ( 1 ) to establish communication with the server ( 11 ) requesting communication with the second network node ( 7 ); causing the first network node to establish communication with the second network node by way of the network address translation device ( 3 , 9 ), which step includes sending a plurality of first dummy packets from the first network node directly to the second network node; causing the server ( 11 ) to establish communication with the second network node requesting communication between the second network node and the first network node; causing the second network node to establish communication with the first network node by way of the network address translation device, which step includes sending a plurality of second dummy packets from the second network node directly to the first network node, transmission of the second dummy packets overlapping with transmission of the first dummy packets; thereafter exchanging data directly between the first and second network nodes; the method including the additional steps of: determining an error if communication between the network nodes ( 1 , 7 ) is not established within a predetermined time or a predetermined number of dummy packets being transmitted; in the event that an error is determined, effecting an error auto-reconnect procedure comprising the following further steps: causing the respective network node ( 1 , 7 ) to communicate the error to the server ( 11 ); causing the server ( 11 ) to communicate the error to the other network node ( 7 , 1 ) which, in turn, re-establishes communication with the server; causing the server thereafter to communicate identification details of the other network node ( 7 , 1 ) to the respective network node ( 1 , 7 ); and reverting to the step of causing the first network node ( 1 ) to establish communication with the second network node ( 7 ).