Patent ID: 7299301

Claim:
A tunnel endpoint device comprising: a network interface connected to a local area network having a cluster of tunnel endpoint devices, the tunnel endpoint device being one of the cluster, the network interface configured to receive a Start-Control-Connection-Request (SCCRQ) message via the local area network to initiate establishment of a tunnel connection, wherein the SCCRQ includes a destination address field modified to be set to a local address of the tunnel endpoint device and a tunnel ID value assigned by a tunnel initiator to the tunnel connection being set-up; means for forming a Start-Control-Connection-Reply (SCCRP) message having an address of the tunnel initiator, the tunnel ID value assigned to the tunnel connection by the tunnel initiator, and a tunnel ID value assigned to the tunnel connection by the tunnel endpoint device; and means for transmitting the SCCRP message to a network address translation server via the network interface.