Communications network dynamic addressing arrangement

An arrangement for assigning network addresses in an internetwork formed from a first network and a plurality of second networks, said networks requiring respective internetwork addresses in order to exchange messages with one another, said networks being associated with respective interconnected switching nodes, said arrangement comprising

• means for assigning to each of said networks a first internetwork address common to said networks, and
• means, contained in a node associated with said first network and operative responsive to a connection being established between said first network and one of said second networks, for dynamically associating said first network with a second internetwork address and associating said connection with a third internetwork address, for supplying said third internetwork address to said first network as the address of said one of said second networks, and for supplying said second internetwork address to a node associated with said one of said second networks as the internetwork address of said first network.

A method of dynamically assigning network addresses in an internetwork composed of at least first and second networks arranged to exchange messages with one another, in which each of said messages contain source and destination addresses, said method comprising the steps of

• assigning a first internetwork address to said first and second networks for use as as a common source address,
• dynamically assigning to said first and second networks, just prior to the actual exchange of said messages, respective second internetwork addresses, and
• responding to receipt of a message from said first network by changing the source and destination addresses contained in said message respectively to the second internetwork address assigned to said first network and second internetwork address assigned to said second network, and then supplying said message to said second network.

A method of assigning network addresses in an internetwork formed from a first network and a plurality of second networks, said networks requiring respective internetwork addresses in order to exchange messages with one another, said networks being associated with respective interconnected switching nodes, said method comprising the steps of

• assigning a first common internetwork address to each of said networks,
• responding to a connection established between said first network and one of said second networks by dynamically associating said first network with a second internetwork address and associating said connection with a third internetwork address, and then supplying said third internetwork address to said first network as the address of said one of said second networks, and
• supplying said second internetwork address to a node associated with said one of said second networks as the internetwork address of said first network.