Method for intelligent internet router and system

A method for operating a router in a computer network, comprising:

• maintaining at said router a user profile comprising criteria for selectively rejecting data to be transferred by said router, said profile containing storage selection criteria;
• receiving at said router packets which are to be transferred to an address on said computer network;
• analyzing said packets to determine if a request has been received to access data at a remote server location having an address;
• comparing said data to said user profile and terminating transmission of said data if it does not conform to said storage selection criteria;
• caching said data at said router if said data does conform to said storage selection criteria;
• and,
• resolving a destination address for routing said data and determining intermediate routing data.

A programmable computer for routing data packets to selective addresses on a computer network, said computer comprising:

• mass storage means;
• means for receiving at a router packets from a client machine to said computer network;
• means for analyzing said packets to determine if a request has been received to access data on a remote server having an address;
• means responsive to said request for accessing with said router said data on said server via said computer network;
• means for resolving a destination address for routing said data and determining intermediate routing data;
• means for routing said data to said client machine which initiated said request according to said resolved destination address and said determined intermediate routing data;
• means for storing a pre-determined profile, said profile defining a set of criteria;
• and,
• means for determining whether said data is to be stored on said mass storage device by evaluating whether said data conforms to said criteria.