Method and protocol for distributed network address translation
US6567405B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 4, 2002 |
| Grant date | May 20, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 4, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L63/0823
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system for Distibuted Network Address Translation (“DNAT”). DNAT is used with small office/home office (“SOHO”) networks or other legacy local networks that have multiple network devices using a common external network address to communicate with an external network. The system includes a port allocation protocol to allocate globally unique ports to network devices on a local network. Individual network devices on a SOHO networks replace local source ports with the globally unique ports. The globally unique ports are used in a combination network address with a common external network address such as an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, to identify multiple network devices on a local network to an external network such as the Internet, an intranet, etc. DNAT helps overcome the large computation burdens encountered when network address translation is done by a router and helps extend the life of older versions IP using 32-bit addressing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.