Extending office telephony and network data services to a remote client through the internet

A communication system comprising:

• a telephony server configured to provide telephony services for a first plurality of office communication lines;
• a local area network coupled to the Internet;
• a server system configured for coupling to the telephony server and to the local area network;
• a first user communication device situated remotely from the telephony server and the local area network, wherein the first user communication device comprises a client computer and a client modem, wherein the client modem is configured for coupling to a server modem through a switching network, wherein the server modem is configured for coupling to a remote access server, wherein the remote access server couples to the Internet;
• wherein the server system comprises:
• a telephony gateway which interfaces with the telephony server, wherein the client computer is configured to execute a telephony client application, wherein the telephony client application is configured to establish a first connection through the client modem, the switching network, the server modem, the remote access server and the Internet to the telephony gateway, wherein the telephony gateway is configured to automatically provide access for the first user communication device to the telephony server in response to the telephony client application establishing the first connection to the telephony gateway, wherein the telephony gateway is further configured to automatically invoke a call forwarding operation, in response to the telephony client application establishing the first connection to the server system, so that subsequent telephone calls, intended to reach a first office communication line of said first plurality, are forwarded to the telephony gateway;
• a virtual private network (VPN) server, wherein the client computer is further configured to execute a VPN client application, wherein the VPN client application is configured to establish a second connection through the client modem, the switching network, the server modem, the remote access server and the Internet to the VPN server, wherein the VPN server is configured to provide access to the local area network for the first user communication device;
• wherein the server system is configured to extend access to the telephony server and the local area network over the Internet for a plurality of user communication devices including the first user communication device.

The communication system of claim 98 further comprising a device driver which executes on the host computer, wherein the device driver is configured:

• to receive a third stream of packets formatted according to the Transfer Control Protocol from the local area network;
• to generate the second stream of packets by reformatting the third stream of packets according to the User Datagram protocol;
• to provide the second stream of packets to a protocol stack running on the host computer;
• wherein the protocol stack provides the second stream of packets to the reception interface through the fourth data interface.

A system, comprising:

• a remote site having a user communication device configured to connect to an office site through an Internet connection, wherein said user communication device is remote from said office site;
• said office site comprising:
• a telephony server configured to provide telephony functionality to a plurality of office users over a plurality of office communication lines, wherein one of said office communication lines has an office number assigned to said user;
• a local area network configured to provide data communication;
• and
• a server system configured to automatically provide access for said user communication device to said local area network and to said telephony server in response to said user communication device connecting to the office site, wherein said server system is configured to automatically invoke a call forwarding operation in response to said user communication device connecting to the office site so that calls made to said office number intended to reach the user at said office site are forwarded to said server system, wherein said server system sends said calls to said user communication device through the Internet, and wherein said server system is further configured to send data communications from said office data network to said user communication device through the Internet while sending said calls to said user communication device through the Internet.

A server system at an office site, comprising:

• at least one host computer configured with (a) a telephony application to support a first connection through the Internet with a user communication device at a remote site, and (b) a virtual private network (VPN) server application to support a second connection through the Internet with the user communication device;
• a telephony interface to a telephony server configured to provide telephony functionality to a plurality of office users over a plurality of office communication lines;
• a network interface to a local area network configured to provide data communication;
• and
• wherein the server system is configured to automatically provide access for said user communication device (c) to said telephony server in response to said user communication device establishing the first connection to the server system through the Internet, and (d) to said local area network in response to said user communication device establishing the second connection to the server system through the Internet;
• wherein the server system is configured to automatically invoke a call forwarding operation in response to said user communication device establishing the first connection to the telephony application so that calls intended to reach the user at said office site are forwarded to the server system through the telephony interface, wherein the server system sends said calls to said user communication device through the first connection over the Internet, wherein the server system is further configured to send data communications from said local area network to said user communication device through the second connection while sending said calls to said user communication device through the first connection.