Patent ID: 7764691

Claim:
A method for use in a network, the method comprising: a) requesting, by a first network client, a first port mapping from a first network address translation (NAT) device, the first port mapping identifying at least one first private address and at least one first external address for the first network client, wherein the first network client is connected to a public network via the first NAT device and a second NAT device; b) requesting, by the first network client, a second port mapping from the second network address translation device, the first port mapping identifying at least one second private address and at least one second external address for the first network client, wherein the requesting comprises communicating with the second network address translation device via the first network address translation device; and c) communicating, by the first network client, the first port mapping and the second port mapping to a second network client, wherein the second network client is connected to the public network via at least one of the first NAT device and the second NAT device, the first NAT device and the second NAT device being connected by a network.