Address resolution for internet protocol sub-networks in asymmetric wireless networks

A system for address resolution in a wireless system having an originating interface terminal and a destination interface terminal, said system comprising:

• means for replacing at said originating air interface terminal a source address within an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request packet issued from a source device with an address of said origination air interface terminal to which said packet is issued, wherein said origination air interface terminal operates as a gateway for at least one connected source device, including said source device having said source address different from the address of said origination air interface terminal, and wherein said replacing step generates a modified ARP request packet and includes (i) means for replacing an Ethernet MAC address of said source device with a MAC address of said originating air interface terminal in an ARP Protocol Data Unit (PDU) and (ii) means for replacing the Ethernet MAC address of said source device with a MAC address of said originating air interface terminal in a source field of an Internet Protocol (IP) datagram of said source device;
• means for transmitting said modified ARP request packet to a destination air interface terminal via an air interface, said destination air interface terminal operating as a gateway for at least one destination device having a destination address different from an address of said destination air interface terminal;
• and
• means responsive to a receipt of a modified ARP reply packet transmitted via said air interface from said destination air interface terminal, for:
• substituting an address of said origination air interface terminal within said reply packet with that of said source device;
• and
• forwarding said ARP reply packet to said source device using the source address.

A system for address resolution in a wireless system, with an originating Satellite Interface Terminal (SIT1) and a destination Satellite Interface Terminal (SIT2), said system comprising:

• means for masking a medium access control MAC address of far end Internet protocol devices with a MAC address of an associated satellite interface terminal to which said devices are connected, said means for masking including;
• and
• means for replacing at said associated satellite air interface terminal a first address within an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request packet issued from a device with an address of said associated satellite air interface terminal to which said packet is issued, wherein said associated satellite air interface terminal operates as a gateway for at least one connected device, including said device having said first address different from the address of said associated satellite air interface terminal, and said replacing step generates a modified ARP request packet and includes (i) means for replacing an Ethernet MAC address of said device with a MAC address of the associated satellite interface terminal in an ARP Protocol Data Unit (PDU) and (ii) means for replacing the Ethernet MAC address of said device with a MAC address of the associated satellite interface terminal in a source field of an Internet Protocol (P) datagram of said device;
• means for providing said MAC address of said satellite interface terminal to a source device of a forward link subsystem via an air interface operating according to Unicast functionality.