Network compatibility

A system comprising:

• means for receiving a first-protocol data-link layer packet having a first-protocol address, the first-protocol data-link layer packet encapsulating a network-layer packet bound for a network layer entity native to a second-protocol data link layer environment;
• means for directly translating the first-protocol data-link layer packet to at least one second-protocol data-link layer packet encapsulating at least a part of the network layer packet, where the at least one second-protocol data-link layer packet has addressing comprising a pre-defined second protocol companion address of the first-protocol address;
• and
• means for transmitting the at least one second-protocol data-link layer packet into the second-protocol data-link layer environment.

A program product comprising:

• signal bearing media bearing programming adapted to perform the following operations:
• receiving a first-protocol data-link layer packet having a first-protocol address, the first-protocol data-link layer packet encapsulating a network-layer packet bound for a network layer entity native to a second-protocol data link layer environment;
• directly translating the first-protocol data-link layer packet to at least one second-protocol data-link layer packet encapsulating at least a part of the network layer packet, where the at least one second-protocol data-link layer packet has addressing comprising a pre-defined second protocol companion address of the first-protocol address;
• and
• transmitting the at least one second-protocol data-link layer packet into the second-protocol data-link layer environment.