Methods and systems for proxy relay implementation for client-server connections over wide area network

A method of establishing a connection via a relay server between a client and a placeshifting device that are each communicating via a network, the method comprising:

• first attempting to establish a streaming session across the network between the client and the placeshifting device on a non-standard port range, if the streaming session attempt on the non-standard port range is unsuccessful, directing the client and the placeshifting device to contact the relay server via the network, wherein the relay server is directed by a relay manager via a standard port range connection over the network;
• in response to the client and the placeshifting subsequently contacting the relay server, establishing a first connection using a standard port range between the relay server and the client wherein the first connection uses a relay reverse proxy service of the relay backend server and the relay reverse proxy service connects to a relay instance running on a same node over a regular port range, a second connection using the non-standard port range between the relay server and the placeshifting device, and a third connection between the relay instance of the relay backend server and a placeshifting device using the non-standard port range;
• and
• relaying data received by the relay server on each of the first, second, and third connections to the other of the first, second, and third connections to thereby establish the connection between the client and the placeshifting device via the relay server.

A system for establishing a media streaming connection between a client and a placeshifting device that are each communicating via a network, the system comprising:

• a relay manager connected to the network receives a request for the media streaming connection that is sent via the network to the relay manager to establish the media streaming connection between the client and the placeshifting device;
• a relay reverse proxy, in response to the request, establishes a first connection between the client and the relay manager;
• and
• a relay instance, in response to the request for the media streaming connection, establishes a second connection between the relay manager and the placeshifting device, and a third connection between the relay instance of the relay backend server and a placeshifting device, to relay data received on each of the first, second and third connections, to another of the first, second and third connections to enable establishment of the media streaming connection by a connection path comprising the relay instance and the relay reverse proxy between the client and the placeshifting device wherein the relay reverse proxy connects to the relay instance that runs on a same node over a regular port range.