Abstract: A method of reserving a transmission band of a transmission line for transmitting data via a plurality of Internet service providers on the Internet between first and second communication devices includes the steps of (a) the first communication device requesting an intermediary server to reserve the transmission band and (b) the intermediary server reserving the transmission band for the first and second communication devices.

Abstract: A communication system and method which automatically assign an appropriate emulated LAN (ELAN) domain to each attached end station. In the LAN emulation configuration server, an ATM address manager manages the associations between LAN stations and their relevant LAN emulation servers. When the identifier of a LAN station is given, it returns the ATM address of a suitable server for that station. To send such address requests, each LAN emulation client has an ATM address requesting unit. The ATM address requesting unit also requests the LAN emulation server to provide the ATM address of a broadcast server for the assigned ELAN. The obtained ATM addresses are stored and managed in an ELAN configuration database, together with the identifiers of stations and information about established network connections. Based on those operating parameters stored in the ELAN configuration database, a data communication unit conducts communication sessions between peer LAN stations.

Abstract: A method of transferring data in a connection-type network in which nodes are connected via communication lines and terminals are connected to the nodes includes the steps of sending a request from a first one of the terminals to a second one of the terminals via a connection established on a first communication line, the request requesting transfer of data from the second one of the terminals to the first one of the terminals via a second communication line, establishing a connection on the second communication line between a first one of the nodes having the first one of the terminals attached thereto and a second one of the nodes having the second one of the terminals attached thereto, and transferring all or part of the data via the connection on the second communication line, wherein the second communication line is established to be in existence for a predetermined duration of time or for a time period during which all or part of the data is transferred.

Abstract: Disclosed is a router network which, regardless of the format used for a network, ensures that communication with another segment will be maintained, even though a fault may occur at a router. The router network includes a plurality of local area networks (LANs), furnished with routers for independent communication; wherein the plurality of local area networks communicate with each other using the Internet protocol (IP) or the Internet work packet protocol (IPX); wherein a network environment for a subordinate segment serviced by a specific router is established for a different router; and wherein when a fault occurs at the specific router, the different router is used as a proxy router to provide communication support for the subordinate segment of the specific router in accordance with the network environment which was set in advance.

Abstract: A method of reserving a transmission band of a transmission line for transmitting data via a plurality of Internet service providers on the Internet between first and second communication devices includes the steps of (a) the first communication device requesting an intermediary server to reserve the transmission band and (b) the intermediary server reserving the transmission band for the first and second communication devices.

Abstract: A terminal (A) sends a call request message to a terminal (b). This message contains a request for a TCP/IP service. A call control section in a switching node passes the message to an agent, which, in turn, examines whether or not an IP address and a TCP port number set in the received call request message have been entered into a firewall table. If they are found, the request for access to the terminal (b) is granted. As a result, an ATM connection is set up between the terminal (A) and the terminal (b) and a TCP/IP connection is set up on the ATM connection. If they are not found, access to the terminal (b) is refused and no ATM connection is set up between the terminal (A) and the terminal (b).

Abstract: A network system of the present invention is constructed of first to third terminal equipments connected to a network. In the case of establishing such a plurality of connection calls that a plurality of connections belong to one call between the first and second terminal equipments, if unable to set all the connections between the first and second terminal equipments, the network sets the connections capable of ensuring bandwidths between the first and second terminal equipments, and sets a remaining connection between the first and third terminal equipments.

Abstract: An ARP server which can inform a calling terminal of an address suitable for an intended communication with a receiving terminal among a plurality of addresses usable for that purpose. The ARP server is equipped with an ATMARP table consisting of a plurality of unit tables each of which correlates an IP address and a plurality of ATM addresses. When receiving an inquiry about an ATM address corresponding to a certain IP address, the ARP server checks free bandwidths of circuits relating to respective ATM addresses in a unit table that corresponds to the IP address of interest, and informs the terminal that issued the inquiry of an ATM address with the largest free bandwidth.