Abstract: In a network having an L2SW in which uplink VLAN is set, a transfer delay of a voice call packet is prevented. In a process of establishing a session between terminals (5), a packet transfer device (1) stores information capable of specifying a sending terminal (5-1) and a receiving terminal (5-2) and a correspondence relation (user connection information) to a connection port into a table. A SIP message of a session control packet communicated between the terminals (5) is snooped, and a destination IP address, a transmission source IP address, a destination port number, a transmission source port number, a connection port etc. are stored into the table. In a case where an RTP packet as voice data is received after the session is established, the packet transfer device (1) performs a loopback transfer or transfers it to an uplink port in accordance with the table.

Abstract: Packet forwarding apparatus comprises a plurality of line interfaces and a protocol processing unit for controlling packet forwarding among the line interfaces and for forwarding a connection initiation request packet received from a user terminal to a plurality of redundant gateways, wherein the protocol processing unit has a management table for storing forwarding control information to control forwarding of communication control packets for each user terminal, selectively forwards one of response packets replied from the plurality of gateways in response to the connection initiation request packet to the requester user terminal and discards the other response packets based on the forwarding control information.

Abstract: A packet forwarding apparatus with a function of registering packet forwarding control information for each user terminal into a user management table during PPPoE connection and authentication phases in which the apparatus carries out predetermined communication procedures with each user terminal. During DHCP and IP forwarding phases following the authentication phase, the packet forwarding apparatus controls packet forwarding based on the user management table. Packets are forwarded in the form of PPPoE frame until the authentication phase is completed and packets are forwarded in the form of Ethernet frame in the DHCP and IP forwarding phases.

Abstract: An IPv4-IPv6 multicast address translation table is dynamically created, so that it is unnecessary to register multicast servers in advance. When an IPv4 MC group address exists as a response of a DNS server to a DNS request of an IPv6 MC client or when an IPv6 MC group address exists as a response of the DNS server to a DNS request of the IPv4 MC client H1 to H4, DNS Proxy D3 requests an MC adaptive translator T1 to generate a virtual IPv6 MC group address or a virtual IPv4 MC group address, and the MC adaptive translator T1 generates a virtual IPv6 MC group address or a virtual IPv4 MC group address from an address pool, and also creates an MC address translation table, whereby the MC address translation of IPv4-IPv6 can be dynamically performed.

Abstract: A frame forwarding apparatus connected between an ISP router and a plurality of subscriber terminals comprises a frame forwarding processing unit and a VLAN bundling table defining the correspondence of subscriber side line information with ISP router side line information and subscriber terminal's MAC address. The subscriber side line information includes a physical line number and a subscriber VLAN identifier, and the ISP router side line information includes a physical line number connected to the ISP router and a group VLAN identifier. By referring to the VLAN bundling table, the frame forwarding processing unit operates to convert a VLAN identifier given in a frame received from a subscriber terminal into a group VLAN identifier and to convert a VLAN identifier given in a frame received from the ISP router into a subscriber VLAN identifier, before forwarding the frame to its destination.

Abstract: An access node run as a packet switching apparatus enables IP connection services for a plurality of access methods; e.g., relatively low-speed IP connection, high-speed 1P connection, and mobile network IP connection. By using this apparatus of the present invention, cost can be reduced and upgrading to advanced access networks and access services is easily carried out. Provision of the above access nodes implements upgrade-type network services common for diverse protocols. Each access node retains a pathfinding table to which input port, input tunnel identifier and input session identifier entries in a set are registered per session. When routing a packet, by looking up the set of these entries matching with the packet, the associated output port, output tunnel identifier, and output session identifier are obtained. After processing for the packet, appropriate for one of the plurality of access methods and network services, the node forwards the packet over the routed path.

Abstract: In a WDM type PON system, each ONU comprises an optical transmitter capable to transmit optical signals with variable wavelengths, an optical signal receiving filter variable its receiving wavelength, and a control unit. An OLT selects in response to a wavelength allocation request from each ONU, a transmitting wavelength and a receiving wavelength out of currently free wavelengths and allocates these wavelengths to the requester ONT. The control unit of the ONU switches the transmitting wavelength of the optical transmitter and the receiving wavelength of the optical signal receiving filter to the wavelengths specified in a response message from the OLT and starts data communication.

Abstract: A packet forwarding apparatus enabling the selective provider type access service in a mobile communication network, comprising a first group of line interfaces connected to a plurality of routers deployed to service areas of a mobile network, a second group of line interfaces connected to the Internet or to routers belonging to different ISP networks, an ISP management table indicating the correspondence of domain name of each ISP networks to an authentication server address, and a controller that identifies, upon receiving from a mobile terminal a request to connect to one of said ISP networks, the domain name of the ISP network from a user ID in the connection request, transmits an authentication request including the user ID and password specified in said connection request to an authentication server associated with the ISP network, according to the authentication server address corresponding to said domain name retrieved from said ISP management table, and notifies the mobile terminal of a result of aut

Abstract: An access node run as a packet switching apparatus enables IP connection services for a plurality of access methods; e.g., relatively low-speed IP connection, high-speed IP connection, and mobile network IP connection. By using this apparatus of the present invention, cost can be reduced and upgrading to advanced access networks and access services is easily carried out. Provision of the above access nodes implements upgrade-type network services common for diverse protocols. Each access node retains a pathfinding table to which input port, input tunnel identifier and input session identifier entries in a set are registered per session. When routing a packet, by looking up the set of these entries matching with the packet, the associated output port, output tunnel identifier, and output session identifier are obtained. After processing for the packet, appropriate for one of the plurality of access methods and network services, the node forwards the packet over the routed path.

Abstract: An IP address provision request issued from a client terminal according to the DHCP protocol is transferred to a DHCP server, and an application for provision of an IP address is received. At this time, a packet transfer system stores pieces of information on the client terminal (IP address and MAC address) in a memory unit. Moreover, the client terminal or the packet transfer system itself broadcasts an ARP request. Pieces of information on the client terminal (IP address and MAC address) contained in an ARP packet are also stored in the memory unit. If the stored IP addresses contained in the DHCP and ARP packets respectively agree with each other, packets addressed to the client terminal that has transmitted the ARP packet are filtered in order to decide whether the packets are allowed to pass through the port.

Abstract: Any or unique VLAN ID is dynamically assigned to a user terminal connected to a network, and communication by the assigned VLAN ID is enabled. A connection request from a user terminal is directed to L2GWs by a tagged VLAN frame having a common VLAN ID on the network. The L2GWs determine whether the connection request can be met, obtain a VLAN ID that can be assigned to the user terminal from a VLAN ID management server, configure themselves to communicate by the assigned VLAN ID, and report the VLAN ID to the user terminal. The user terminal performs subsequent communication by the reported VLAN ID. L2SWs monitor communication between the user terminal and the L2GWs and configure themselves to allow communication between the user terminal and the L2GWs by the VLAN ID assigned to the user terminal.

Abstract: A packet transfer apparatus has a controller for controlling transmission of a PADO packet on the basis of the information that is previously set in the packet transfer apparatus in order that the PADO packet can be transmitted back to the terminals or a PADI can be discarded when the PADI packet sent from the terminals to the packet transfer apparatus does not have any Service-Name specified. In addition, another controller is used. This controller is provided so that, when a Service-Name that indicates the type of an offered communication service is specified in the PADI packet, it can judge whether the Service-Name is previously registered in a memory and decide to transmit the PADO packet to the terminal if the Service-Name is previously registered, but to discard the PADI packet if the Service-Name is not registered.

Abstract: A user terminal connection control method to limit the number of sessions simultaneously connectable to the Internet, wherein an access server or authentication server has a user management table for specifying the maximum number of connections and a preferential terminal identifier indicating a user terminal to be preferentially connected to the Internet for each group comprising a plurality of user identifiers. The access server or authentication server determines, during a communication procedure for authenticating a user who requests to access to the Internet, whether the current number of connections for a group to which the user belongs has reached the maximum number of connections, and if so, determines whether to allow the user terminal to connect to the Internet depending on whether the user terminal identifier matches the preferential terminal identifier.

Abstract: A listening-or-viewing charge is differentiated with bit rates depending on distributed programs. A broadband access server for holding user channels by PPP and replicating and transferring multicast packets have a counter for counting the number of distributed multicast packets and the number of distributed bytes at each multicast group address. The counter values (byte counts and packet counts) when a user joins a multicast group and when the user leaves the multicast group and a multicast session ID containing a PPP user ID and a multicast group address are sent to a multicast accounting radius server. The multicast accounting server provides an accounting on a basis of the byte counts, the packet counts, or a bit rate.

Abstract: A Layer 2 switch manages distribution destinations of a multicast packet and distributes a copy of the multicast packet, so that the bandwidth wasted in a network is reduced. The Layer 2 switch is disposed between a user terminal and a packet transfer apparatus, which are connected by P2P, has a function to manage connected multicast users, receives a multicast packet on behalf of the users, and distributes a copy, to reduce the bandwidth wasted between the Layer 2 switch and the packet transfer apparatus.

Abstract: An access network system connected to an ISP network including a subscriber authentication server comprised of a plurality of packet forwarding apparatuses each for connecting user terminals to an Internet network via the ISP network and an address pool management server having an address pool management table for holding, as a sub-address pool, a plurality of IP addresses usable over the ISP network. Each of the packet forwarding apparatuses acquires from the address pool management server an IP address to be allocated to the user terminal having requested connection to the Internet when the subscriber authentication server has succeeded in authentication of the user terminal.

Abstract: A packet switching apparatus is constructed by a basic module disposed in the apparatus casing and an additional module disposed on the outside of the apparatus casing. The basic module has a common processing function irrespective of an access method and a service type, an interface accommodating lines to be connected to the Internet, and a plurality of interface boards conformed to a specific access method by which a hardware scale may be small. Only the basic module functions as a packet switching apparatus, and a processing function peculiar to each access method and service type is executed by the additional module.

Abstract: Upon receiving a connection request from a terminal, a packet transfer apparatus registers information on the terminal with a memory and forwards information necessary for the authentication of the terminal and an authentication request to an authentication server. The apparatus then receives authentication permission and a multicast group address list associated with the terminal that has made the connection request from the server. The apparatus then associates the multicast group address list received with the terminal information stored in the memory for registration. Upon receiving a participation request from the terminal, the apparatus determines whether or not the group address contained in the participation request is present in the list in the memory. If the group address is present in the list in the memory, the apparatus permits the delivery of a packet to the terminal from a content delivery server and transmits the packet to the terminal.

Abstract: A packet transfer apparatus for accommodating a plurality of hosts to transfer packets between the plurality of hosts and an ISP network. Upon receipt of a connection authentication request from a host, the packet transfer apparatus transmits ID and password information (information required for authentication) included in the request to an authentication server in the ISP network, acquires IP address information for the host from the authentication server, and notifies a DNS server in the ISP network of the IP address information, and previously registered domain name information of the host.

Abstract: A packet transfer apparatus which can switch a communication path for each of a plurality of users using the same L2TP tunnel is provided. Packet transfer apparatuses terminating L2TP contain a table specifying a flow threshold level and a priority level of each subscriber; the amount of packet flow of each subscriber is measured in accordance with the information in the table; if the threshold level is exceeded, the packet communication path is switched in accordance with the priority level specified for each subscriber. The OSPF protocol is used to manage the path information, and the information of a plurality of paths to a destination is stored in a path management table. The path is switched by specifying destination routers with the source routing option in the IP header of a packet after L2TP encapsulation.