Patent ID: 8619710

Claim:
An apparatus for providing network access to an external device, the apparatus comprising: a first mobile platform module adapted to support network access via a first radio access technology (RAT) and comprising a first data interface towards the external device; and a second mobile platform module adapted to support network access via at least one second RAT and comprising a second data interface towards the external device, wherein: the first mobile platform module further comprises: a first network address management component adapted to perform Internet Protocol (IP) address-related operations; and an IP layer; the second mobile platform module further comprises: a second network address management component adapted to perform IP address-related operations; and an IP layer; the first and second network address management components are adapted to communicate with each other to perform IP address synchronization among the two mobile platform modules, wherein the IP address synchronization causes the apparatus to act toward the network and to the external device as if the apparatus had only a single IP layer; and the IP address synchronization includes transfer of an IP address between the respective IP layers of the first and second mobile platform modules, wherein the IP address has been allocated by the network to which access is provided.