Multi-path access network

A computer-implemented method for providing multi-path network access to a client node in a first local area network, the method comprising, by a first routing circuitry that is network addressable:

• providing routing of packets between the first local area network and a first access network thereby providing network access to the first local area network;
• providing forwarding of packets within the first local area network;
• intercepting network packets from the client node destined for a destination node outside the first local area network;
• forwarding the intercepted network packets to a multi-path agent that is network addressable within the first network;
• the method further comprising, by the multi-path agent:
• receiving the intercepted network packets from the first routing circuitry;
• transforming the intercepted network packets to multi-path networking packets supporting a multi-path networking protocol;
• and
• forwarding, according to the multi-path networking protocol, the multi-path networking packets to the first routing circuitry for further routing along the first access network and/or to a second routing circuitry that is network addressable for further routing along a second access network;
• wherein the second routing circuitry provides network access to the first local area network over the second access network.

A gateway router comprising a routing circuitry that is network addressable configured to perform the following steps:

• providing routing, of packets between a first local area network and a first access network thereby providing network access to the first local area network;
• providing forwarding of packets within the first local area network;
• intercepting network packets from a client node destined for a destination node outside the first local area network;
• forwarding the intercepted network packets to a multi-path agent that is network addressable within the first network;
• receiving from the multi-path agent a selection of the intercepted network packets transformed according to a multi-path networking protocol;
• forwarding the transformed network packets to the destination node over the first access network.

A networking device comprising a communication interface and multipath circuitry that is network addressable configured to perform the following steps:

• receiving intercepted network packets from a gateway router;
• transforming the intercepted network packets to multi-path networking packets according to a multi-path networking protocol;
• and
• forwarding, according to the multi-path networking protocol, the multi-path networking packets to the gateway router for further routing along the first access network and/or to a second routing circuitry that is network addressable for further routing along a second access network;
• wherein the second routing circuitry provides network access to the first local area network over a second access network.