Patent ID: 7716731

Claim:
A method by which a source device dynamically tunnels over a selected one of an unreliable protocol or a reliable protocol based on network conditions, the method comprising: establishing a reliable protocol connection to a destination device using a reliable protocol, the reliable protocol connection including a TCP/IP connection in which a TCP transport mechanism runs directly on top of an IP packet delivery mechanism; and attempting to utilize an unreliable protocol connection to communicate between said source device and said destination device, the unreliable protocol connection being distinct from the reliable protocol connection and including a UDP/IP instance in which a UDP transport mechanism runs directly on top of the IP packet delivery mechanism, and when said attempting to utilize said unreliable protocol connection is successful, then using said unreliable protocol connection to transmit data between said source device and said destination device, and when said attempting to utilize said unreliable protocol connection is unsuccessful, then using said reliable protocol connection to transmit data between said source device and said destination device, wherein using said reliable protocol connection to transmit data between said source device and said destination device includes using said TCP/IP connection and not said UDP/IP instance for transmitting said data packets upon the occurrence of the unsuccessful attempt to utilize the unreliable protocol connection.