System and Method for Web Hosting Behind NATs

A computer-implemented method for establishing a direct connection between at least one host computer and at least one client computer, wherein the at least one host computer is connected to a network through at least one Network Address Translation (NAT) gateway, the method comprising:

• receiving data relating to the at least one host computer;
• determining whether the at least one NAT gateway is traversable;
• receiving a request from at least one client computer to access the at least one host computer;
• determining at least one port number, wherein the at least one port number corresponds to at least one port of the at least one NAT gateway;
• and
• transmitting data relating to the at least one host computer to the at least one client computer, wherein the data relating to the at least one host computer includes the at least one port number, such that the at least one client computer is able to initiate at least one direct connection with the at least one host computer.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a host computer to provide web content to at least one client computer, wherein the host computer is connected to a public network through at least one Network Address Translation (NAT) gateway, the control logic comprising:

• first computer readable program code means for causing the host computer to transmit data relating to the host computer to a rendezvous server;
• second computer readable program code means for causing the host computer to receive a connection request from the rendezvous server;
• third computer readable program code means for causing the host computer to receive, from the rendezvous server, data configured to determine whether the at least one NAT gateway is traversable;
• fourth computer readable program code means for causing the host computer to receive at least one HTTP request directly from the at least one client computer, wherein the at least one HTTP request traverses the at least one NAT gateway;
• and
• fifth computer readable program code means for causing the host computer to transmit at least one HTTP response directly to the at least one client computer.