Abstract: A virtual payment facilitator is disclosed that includes a VPN server for establishing a VPN with a point-of-sale device over a public network, a second VPN server for establishing a VPN between with a remote payment authorizer, and a virtual controller interposed between the first and second VPN servers configured to issue control commands to the point-of-sale device. The virtual payment facilitator may also include a database configured to store data relating to the point-of-sale device.

Abstract: An intermediate unicast network is provided for use in a multicast data network where the multicast network is a local server and a plurality of network hosts, which may be, for example, point-of-sale registers. The intermediate network includes a network device for receiving multicast data from the local server, encapsulating such data in a unicast data transfer frame, and transferring the unicast data to a plurality of dongles, each of which being associated with a corresponding network host. Each dongle is configured to decapsulate the unicast data received from the network appliance and to re-assemble the data into multicast data for transfer to the associated network host.

Abstract: An intermediate unicast network is provided for use in a multicast data network where the multicast network is a local server and a plurality of network hosts, which may be, for example, point-of-sale registers. The intermediate network includes a network device for receiving multicast data from the local server, encapsulating such data in a unicast data transfer frame, and transferring the unicast data to a plurality of dongles, each of which being associated with a corresponding network host. Each dongle is configured to decapsulate the unicast data received from the network appliance and to re-assemble the data into multicast data for transfer to the associated network host.