Method and apparatus for interconnecting ATM-attached hosts with telephone-network attached hosts

A method for connecting a telephone-network-attached host to an asynchronous transfer mode ATM-attached host, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing a first telephone call to a data base at a known telephone number;
• receiving over said first telephone call the identity of an available telephone adapter on a RouTel;
• disconnecting from said first telephone call;
• originating a second telephone call to said identified available adapter;
• receiving a query for a layer-3 address;
• transmitting said telephone-network-attached host's layer-3 address if said telephone network attached host has a layer-3 address;
• receiving a layer-3 address if said telephone-network-attached host has no layer-3 address;
• and
• transmitting a layer-3 data packet identifying said layer-3 address as the source of said packet.

A method for use in a RouTel comprising the steps of:

• receiving a telephone call from a telephone-network-attached TNA host;
• querying said TNA host to determine if said TNA host has a layer-3 address;
• assigning a layer-3 address to said host if the result of said determination is that said TNA host does not have a layer-3 address;
• receiving a layer-3 data packet;
• determining the layer-3 address of the destination of the packet;
• determining the corresponding lower layer address or telephone number corresponding to the destination layer-3 address;
• converting the encapsulation layer-3 data packet from a first protocol by which the data packet is received to a second protocol suitable for reaching the destination;
• establishing a connection to the destination of the packet;
• and
• forwarding the layer-3 packet to the destination.

A method for use by a RouTel in connecting an asynchronous transfer mode ATM-attached host to a telephone-network-attached host having a layer-3 address, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving, over an ATM connection, a packet from said ATM-attached host;
• determining, from the layer-3 address of said packet, that said packet is destined for said TNA host;
• retrieving a last known telephone number for said TNA host;
• placing a call to said last known telephone number;
• establishing a data communication session with said TNA host when said host is still located at said last known telephone number;
• translating said packet from the protocol in which it was received to a protocol employed by said TNA host;
• transmitting said translated packet to said TNA host over said data communication session.