Abstract: A mobile Internet Protocol service provider system implements home agent functionality in two separate devices. One device, the home registration agent, is devoted to registration of the mobile node and session control. The other device, the home tunneling agent, is devoted to tunneling and routing functions for the foreign agent. The home registration agent can be a general purpose computer. The home tunneling agent is preferably implemented in a robust routing device, such as an IP switch or router. Multiple home tunneling agents or home registration agents can be implemented in the respective devices as multiple instantiations of a home registration agent or home tunneling agent software program. Foreign agent functionality for mobile IP networking can also be split into separate devices.

Abstract: Multiple home agents for a home agent service provider network are implemented in a single computing platform in software as multiple virtual home agents. Each home agent is assigned or dedicated to a single virtual private network. Any number of home agents can be realized in the computing platform by multiple instantiations of a home agent program or code, and by providing unique IP addresses for each instantiation. Each home agent runs independently, and is independently configured and managed by the subscriber of the virtual private network service, freeing the service provider of having to manage and supervise low level processing tasks and customization features that the subscribers may want. In a representative embodiment, the computing platform comprises a router having a general purpose-computing platform.

Abstract: Tones that are generated by a telephone or PC (such as DTMF tones) and subject to loss or noise during generation or during transmission along a medium are detected and replaced with substantially noise-free and distortionless digital signals. In one embodiment, the replacement of the tones is done in a modem embodied in an Internet telephony Gateway/Terminal, such as in a network access server coupling a time division multiplexed telephone line to a packet-switched network. The replacement of the tones may also be performed in any suitable device that provides an interface between a time division multiplexed transmission medium and a packet switched data network, such as in the modems of a cellular telephone network to Internet network access server.

Abstract: A mobile Internet Protocol service provider system implements home agent functionality in two separate devices. One device, the home registration agent, is devoted to registration of the mobile node. The other device, the home tunneling agent, is devoted to tunneling and routing functions for the foreign agent. The home registration agent can be a general purpose computer. The home tunneling agent is preferably implemented in a robust routing device, such as an IP switch or router. Multiple home tunneling agents or home registration agents can be implemented in the respective devices as multiple instantiations of a home registration agent or home tunneling agent software program. Foreign agent functionality for mobile IP networking can also be split into separate devices.

Abstract: In a typical remote access application, such as access from the home to a packet-switched high speed network such as the Internet, the low-speed dial up connection to a network access is the main bottleneck in terms of the bandwidth and efficiency of transfer of data across the network access server. The present invention increases throughput through the network access server by identifying and dropping redundant, e.g., retransmitted, packets en route from the LAN or WAN to the remote terminal, thereby preserving precious bandwidth.

Abstract: A network access server providing remote access to an IP network for a remote client initiates a PPP connection for a remote client quickly, and without requiring re-negotiation of Link Control Protocols and Network Control Protocols. The network access server has a PPP session with the remote client go dormant, for example when the user is a wireless user and goes out of range of a radio tower and associated base station. The network access server does not get rid of the PPP state for the dormant session, but rather switches that PPP state to a new session, such as when the client moves into range of a different radio tower and associated base station and initiates a new active session on the interface to the wireless network. The switching of PPP states may be within a single network access server, or from one network access server to another.

Abstract: Multiple home agents for a home agent service provider network are implemented in a single computing platform in software as multiple virtual home agents. Each home agent is assigned or dedicated to a single virtual private network. Any number of home agents can be realized in the computing platform by multiple instantiations of a home agent program or code, and by providing unique IP addresses for each instantiation. Each home agent runs independently, and is independently configured and managed by the subscriber of the virtual private network service, freeing the service provider of having to manage and supervise low level processing tasks and customization features that the subscribers may want. In a representative embodiment, the computing platform comprises a router having a general purpose-computing platform.

Abstract: Two network entities allocate the performance of encryption and compression algorithms amongst each other in a controlled and coordinated manner so as to avoid unnecessary duplication of encryption and compression at different protocol layers and an associated waste of CPU power. For example, a first network entity performs both encryption and compression at the IP layer, and instructs the second network entity to disable PPP-layer encryption and compression. In a wireless networking example of the invention, the first network entity is a home agent (e.g., a router) for a wireless communications device and the second network entity is a foreign agent (e.g., a network access server) providing network access for the communications device. The foreign agent terminates a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session with the communications device, but implements (or does not implement) PPP-layer compression and encryption algorithms under the supervision and control of the home agent.

Abstract: An election protocol or method is described for use in Internet Telephony, in which a gatekeeper is elected to serve as an active gatekeeper. The group of gatekeepers elect one gatekeeper in a zone to act as a primary gatekeeper that responds to gatekeeper request messages by broadcasting active gatekeeper claim messages that contain a unique gatekeeper priority value for the gatekeeper. The gatekeepers compare the received gatekeeper priority value with their own gatekeeper priority value and either broadcast another active gatekeeper claim message (if they are higher ranked) or do not broadcast another active gatekeeper claim message (if they are lower ranked). This process sorts the gatekeepers into a hierarchy with the highest ranked gatekeeper designated to respond to gatekeeper request messages. The other gatekeepers stand by in an idle mode and do not respond to gatekeeper requests. The other gatekeepers are ranked in priority in accordance with a gatekeeper priority value assigned to each gatekeeper.

Abstract: A method for coordinating and controlling multiple data streams representing a data transmission session that terminate in different termination units (such as network access servers). The data streams are transmitted over two or more links, collectively forming a "bundle". The termination units are linked together preferably over a local area network. One of the termination units that receives a data stream is designated as the termination unit to receive and reconstruct the call. The designated termination unit is the "owner" of the bundle. The termination unit broadcasts an advertisement consisting of a bundle mapping update packet software structure with an identification header to alert the other termination units that it is to reconstruct the call. The identification header in the advertisement notifies the other termination units that if they should receive a portion of the data stream in the bundle, they should forward their packets of data to the designated termination unit.

Abstract: A method for coordinating and controlling multiple data streams representing a data transmission session that terminate in different termination units (such as network access servers). The data streams are transmitted over two or more links, collectively forming a "bundle". The termination units are linked together preferably over a local area network. One of the termination units that receives a data stream is designated as the termination unit to receive and reconstruct the call. The designated termination unit is the "owner" of the bundle. The termination unit broadcasts an advertisement consisting of a bundle mapping update packet software structure with an identification header to alert the other termination units that it is to reconstruct the call. The identification header in the advertisement notifies the other termination units that if they should receive a portion of the data stream in the bundle, they should forward their packets of data to the designated termination unit.