Patent ID: 7792072

Claim:
A method, comprising: connecting a mobile node to an access point outside a private network; forming an internet protocol security tunnel between the mobile node and a home agent on the private network for a transfer of packets; roaming the mobile node into a region of the private network and connecting the mobile node to the private network using a private network access point, while maintaining the internet protocol security tunnel between the mobile node and the home agent, wherein when the mobile node is outside the private network forming the internet protocol security tunnel between the mobile node and the home agent further comprises forming an internet protocol security tunnel between the mobile node and a private network gateway and forming an internet protocol security tunnel between the private network gateway and the home agent, wherein when the mobile nodes roams into the region of the private network, the internet protocol security tunnel is maintained between the mobile node and the home agent without traversing the private network gateway, and wherein roaming the mobile node into the private network comprises sending, by the mobile node, an update message to the home agent, and receiving an acknowledgement message from the home agent, wherein the acknowledgment message indicates that the home agent has updated the security association and an internet protocol address for the mobile node.