Patent ID: 8640221

Claim:
A method for transmitting network packets through a network security device, the method comprising: receiving, with a network device, a network packet from a first computing device to be sent to a second computing device over a network comprising the network security device and first and second network switches, wherein the network packet comprises a first network interface identifier for identifying the first computing device on the network and a second network interface identifier for identifying the second computing device on the network; identifying third and fourth network interface identifiers associated with the network device that, when the network packet is transmitted using the third and fourth network interface identifiers, cause the network packet to be transmitted through the network security device; transmitting the network packet from the network device over the network through the network security device using the third and fourth network interface identifiers, wherein the network packet is transmitted through the first network switch before being transmitted through the network security device, and the network packet is transmitted through the second network switch after being transmitted through the network security device; and after the network device receives the network packet back from the network security device through the second network switch, transmitting the network packet from the network device to the second computing device using the first and second network interface identifiers.