Methods and apparatus for interconnecting local area networks with wide area backbone networks
US5426637A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 14, 1992 |
| Grant date | Jun 20, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 14, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L45/742
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system for interconnecting widely separated local area networks (LANs) by means of a wide area network (WAN) utilizes network level facilities to establish a connection through the wide area network and to create connection table entries at the WAN access point which allow subsequent data frames to be transmitted through the wide area network without such network level operations. More particularly, the various LANs are combined into search groups, represented by address prefixes, to which LAN-initiated connection requests can be broadcast and which can respond so as to establish the data path connections. This system has the connection flexibility of a prior art router and, at the same time, the low overhead of a prior art bridge.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.