Patent ID: 8683019

Claim:
One or more nontransitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method of enabling a host external to a private network (“external host”) to initiate communication with a host internal to the private network (“internal host”), wherein the internal host is associated with a private IP address, the method comprising: from the internal host, receiving a request to receive a public Internet Protocol (IP) address; assigning the public IP address to the internal host, wherein the public IP address is mapped to the private IP address of the internal host; and communicating the public IP address to the internal host, wherein the public address is a public address of a network address translation (NAT) device that performs address translation between hosts internal to the private network and hosts external to the private network, A) wherein the internal host is enabled to communicate the public IP address to a network element that makes the public IP address available to the external host, and B) wherein the external host is enabled to receive the public IP address and initiate a connection with the internal host via the public IP address.