Abstract: The present invention describes a way of configuring an existing, conventional network-enabled device by modifying and augmenting its designs, schematics, hardware and/or software, and by integrating it into a system, resulting in a corresponding augmented device capable of demand-driven, flexible topology and intelligently-enabled communication between said resulting augmented device and at least one conventional network-enabled application server over multiple segments of the Internet concurrently. The augmented device is configured so as to possess a processing unit, a memory unit, a storage unit, as well as two or more mobile broadband access devices. The augmented device is configured to coexist and cooperate with the other components of the system.

Abstract: Specialized Internet gateway apparatuses provide Internet access to conventional network-enabled client devices through multiple disjoint segments of the Internet simultaneously by means of multiple Internet access devices and of a “connection-merging protocol”. Virtual relay servers, which also implement the connection-merging protocol, act as proxies between the gateway apparatuses and the conventional network-enabled application servers the client devices connected to said gateway apparatuses wish to communicate with. A virtual resource allocation and information server aggregates status and routing information relevant to the gateway apparatuses, and dynamically adjusts the number, location and/or performance specifications of running virtual relay servers.

Abstract: Specialized Internet gateway apparatuses 101 provide Internet access to conventional network-enabled client devices 100 through multiple disjoint segments of the Internet simultaneously by means of multiple Internet access devices and of a “connection-merging protocol”. Virtual relay servers 102, which also implement the connection-merging protocol, act as proxies between the gateway apparatuses 101 and the conventional network-enabled application servers 103 the client devices 100 connected to said gateway apparatuses 101 wish to communicate with. A virtual resource allocation and information server 104 aggregates status and routing information relevant to the gateway apparatuses 101, and dynamically adjusts the number, location and/or performance specifications of running virtual relay servers 102.