Abstract: A first network device implements a method for the secure exchange of data in a network. The network also includes a second network device and a remote device. The method includes establishing an indirect path to the remote device and pre-negotiating first security parameters with the remote device over the indirect path using a network layer protocol, when the second network device has an active first data link. The method further includes establishing an active second data link with the remote device and exchanging first data with the remote device over the active second data link using the first security parameters, when the first data link becomes inactive.

Abstract: A GGSN receives a request associated with a session creation for a mobile entity. The GGSN begins a process (a four-way handshake) for obtaining network access configuration parameters for the mobile entity and responds to the request prior to the completion of the four-way handshake. The GGSN then completes the four-way handshake. A GGSN creates an association between a first IP address and a first mobile entity and thereafter requests an IP address for a second mobile entity. In response thereto, the GGSN receives the first IP address, which the GGSN declines for the second mobile entity and reserves for the first mobile entity. The GGSN requests an IP address for the second mobile entity a second time and receives a second IP address that is different from the first IP address.

Abstract: A fast OSPF inactive router detection technique is provided that detects the failure of a router and switches routing to an alternate router. The alternate router provides a message to the other routers in the Wide Area Network (LAN) that informs of the router failure.

Abstract: A mobile station (303) provides seamless mobility across multicast domains for communicating with a multicast group (109) in a telecommunication system (300) that includes a home domain (102) and a visited domain (302). The mobile station (303) includes a local source address (324) and a home address (322). The mobile station (303) also includes a domain detector (305) for detecting a current domain of the mobile station (303), a comparator (307) for comparing the current domain of the mobile station with a previous domain of the mobile station (303) to generate a comparison result; and a multicast mode switch (326) coupled to the comparator (307) for switching between the local source address (324) and the home address (322) to select a source address for communicating with the multicast group (109) as a function of the comparison result.

Abstract: A fast OSPF inactive router detection technique is provided that detects the failure of a router and switches routing to an alternate router. The alternate router provides a message to the other routers in the Wide Area Network (LAN) that informs of the router failure.

Abstract: A first network device implements a method for the secure exchange of data in a network. The network also includes a second network device and a remote device. The method includes establishing an indirect path to the remote device and pre-negotiating first security parameters with the remote device over the indirect path using a network layer protocol, when the second network device has an active first data link. The method further includes establishing an active second data link with the remote device and exchanging first data with the remote device over the active second data link using the first security parameters, when the first data link becomes inactive.

Abstract: The present invention is drawn to an system and a method for configuring subnets within a switch network that is typically comprised of switches and a router coupled together via a common shared bus. In one embodiment, a VLAN-defined (virtual local area network-defined) subnet is configured by mapping a subnet to a VLAN. All subnet members share a single VLAN ID irrespective of device boundaries of the switch network. In particular, in contrast to the span of a conventional subnet, the span of the VLAN-defined subnet is not required to be confined within a single switch's device boundary. As such, the present invention provides flexibility in configuring subnets. Moreover, an intra-VLAN packet forwarding mechanism is provided for said VLAN-defined subnet such that a packet can be transmitted between any two subnet members. This intra-VLAN packet forwarding mechanism avoids routing even when the VLAN-defined subnet spans more than one switch.