Simple Remote Access Through Firewalls For Networked Devices and Applications

A method, comprising:

• creating a first secure connection between a host device residing in a first local network and a central device residing in a wide area network external to the first device;
• selecting a target device residing in a second local network distinct from the first local network to create a secure tunnel with the first local network;
• downloading over the secure connection an application, or applications to the host device;
• executing the application on the host device to establish a first outgoing TCP/IP stream connection from the first local network to the central device on the wide area network;
• establishing a second outgoing TCP/IP stream connection to the central device from the target device, where the target device creates the second outgoing TCP/IP stream connection to the central device by periodically authenticating itself to the central device and then keeping that connection open for future bi-directional communication on an outgoing TCP/IP stream connection;
• using a first virtual IP address on the host device and a second virtual IP address to the target device;
• and
• receiving communication traffic from the first established TCP/IP stream connection from the host device associated with the first virtual IP address and then routing the communication traffic down the second established TCP/1P stream connection to the target device associated with the second virtual IP address based on virtual IP address mapping occurring in a registry of the central device.

A system, comprising:

• a soft Device Services Controller (DSC), implemented in software, downloaded to a Host Console or User's PC on a first local network from the device service manager (DSM) on a wide area network, and executed at a first local network, wherein the soft DSC is executed to implement a virtual network interface and corresponding virtual IP address (VIP) to permit outgoing TCP/IP conduit connection to the DSM by creating a first outgoing TCP/IP stream connection from the first local network to the DSM on the wide area network;
• the soft DSC configured to automatically process and forward networking traffic arriving at the virtual networking interface with the associated VIP to the DSM;
• and
• a VIP Access enabled device on a second local network distinct from the first area network;
• wherein the VIP Access enabled device periodically authenticates itself to the DSM and establishes an outgoing TCP/IP stream connection to the DSM and then keeps that connection open for future bi-directional communication on the outgoing TCP/IP stream connection;
• and
• an IP redirector in the DSM receives communication traffic from a first established TCP/IP stream connection from the softDSC and then routes the communication traffic down the second established TCP/IP stream connection to the VIP Access enabled device based on VIP address mapping occurring in a registry of the DSM, wherein the VIP Access enabled device decodes the communication.