Method for network address translation

In a data communications system comprising an internet and at least one home network, each of said home networks comprising a plurality of home network devices and having access to said internet through a router with an internet-unique network address, said system employing a method for network address translation of a packet having at least a network layer and a datalink layer, originating from a source device on said internet, received at said router and intended for one of said home network devices, said method comprising the following steps:

• determining whether the network layer of a first packet from said source device includes information that matches that of any packet previously transmitted from a home network device to said source device on said internet;
• if said network layer of said first packet includes information that matches that of any packet having previously been transmitted from a home network device to said source device on said internet, then replacing the network layer destination address of said first packet with a configured logical address, said configured logical address being common to each home network device with a common home network, and its router and adding at said datalink layer the MAC address of said home network device as the datalink destination address;
• if network layer information of said first packet matches an entry in a default service profile, then forwarding said first packet in accordance with said default service profile;
• if said first packet includes a TCP or UDP protocol type, then broadcasting said first packet to all of said plurality of home network devices;
• if any of said home network devices respond to said broadcast first packet, then forward subsequent packets with the same network layer information as said first packet, only to said responding home network devices;
• and
• discarding all packets not forwardable by the foregoing steps.