Client device identification when communicating through a network address translator device

A computer program stored on a computer readable medium for a host system to communicate with and to identify at least one client device that communicates with the host system through a network address translator device, comprising:

• an enabling code segment that causes the computer to enable communications from a first client device through the network address translator device and to enable communications from a second client device that communicates through the network address translator device;
• a receiving code segment that causes the computer to receive a data packet that includes a payload portion and an attribute portion, wherein the attribute portion includes a destination address that indicates a destination for the data packet and a nearest source address;
• an examining code segment that causes the computer to examine a portion of the received data packet other than the nearest source address for a host-assigned identifier that identifies a client device that communicated the received data packet;
• a processing code segment that causes the computer to process the received data packet in accordance with predetermined host system controls accessible to the host system for the first client device if the host-assigned identifier identifies the first client device and to process the received data packet in accordance with predetermined host system controls accessible to the host system for the second client device if the host-assigned identifier identifies the second client device;
• and
• an assigning code segment that causes the computer to assign to the second client device a second identifier to be included in payload portions of data packets that are communicated between the second client device and the host system and to assign to the first client device a first identifier to be included in payload portions of data packets that are communicated between the first client device and the host system, wherein:
• the first and second host-assigned identifiers include the first and second identifiers, respectively, and
• the assigning code segment causes the computer to assign the first identifier such that the host system may uniquely identify the first client device through use of the first identifier and to assign the second identifier such that the host system may uniquely identify the second client device through use of the second identifier.

A method for a host system to communicate with and to identify at least one client device that communicates with the host system through a network address translator device, the method comprising:

• enabling communications from a first client device through the network address translator device;
• receiving a data packet that includes a payload portion and an attribute portion, wherein the attribute portion includes a destination address that indicates a destination for the data packet and a nearest source address and wherein the attribute portion of the received data packet further includes a source address that identifies the network address translator device;
• examining a portion of the received data packet other than the nearest source address for a host-assigned identifier that identifies a client device that communicated the received data packet;
• processing the received data packet in accordance with predetermined host system controls accessible to the host system for the first client device if the host-assigned identifier identifies the first client device;
• examining the attribute portion of the received data packet for the source address;
• and
• using the source address to determine whether the received data packet is a first data packet received from the network address translator device,
• wherein examining the portion of the received data packet includes examining the payload portion of the received data packet for the host-assigned identifier that identifies the client device that communicated the received data packet only when the received data packet is determined to be a data packet from the first data packet received from the network address translator device.

A method for a host system to communicate with and to identify at least one client device that communicates with the host system through a network address translator device, the method comprising:

• enabling communications from a first client device through the network address translator device;
• receiving a data packet that includes a payload portion and an attribute portion, wherein the attribute portion includes a destination address that indicates a destination for the data packet and a nearest source address;
• examining a portion of the received data packet other than the nearest source address for a host-assigned identifier that identifies a client device that communicated the received data packet;
• processing the received data packet in accordance with predetermined host system controls accessible to the host system for the first client device if the host-assigned identifier identifies the first client device;
• and
• identifying a user of the first client device based on the examined host-assigned identifier and a user identifier, wherein:
• the user identifier includes a user name, and
• processing the received data packet includes processing the received data packet based on the examined host-assigned identifier and the user name.

A method for a host system to communicate with and to identify at least one client device that communicates with the host system through a network address translator device, the method comprising:

• enabling communications from a first client device through the network address translator device;
• receiving a data packet that includes a payload portion and an attribute portion, wherein the attribute portion includes a destination address that indicates a destination for the data packet and a nearest source address;
• examining a portion of the received data packet other than the nearest source address for a host-assigned identifier that identifies a client device that communicated the received data packet;
• processing the received data packet in accordance with predetermined host system controls accessible to the host system for the first client device if the host-assigned identifier identifies the first client device;
• and
• identifying a user of the first client device based on the examined host-assigned identifier and a user identifier, wherein:
• the user identifier includes a user name and a password, and
• processing the received data packet includes processing the received data packet based on the examined host-assigned identifier, the user name, and the password.

A computer program stored on a computer readable medium for a host system to communicate with and to identify at least one client device that communicates with the host system through a network address translator device, comprising:

• an enabling code segment that causes the computer to enable communications from a first client device through the network address translator device;
• a receiving code segment that causes the computer to receive a data packet that includes a payload portion and an attribute portion, wherein the attribute portion includes a destination address that indicates a destination for the data packet and a nearest source address;
• an examining code segment that causes the computer to examine a portion of the received data packet other than the nearest source address for a host-assigned identifier that identifies a client device that communicated the received data packet;
• and
• a processing code segment that causes the computer to process the received data packet in accordance with predetermined host system controls accessible to the host system for the first client device if the host-assigned identifier identifies the first client device, wherein:
• the attribute portion of the received data packet further includes a source address that identifies the network address translator device,
• the examining code segment causes the computer to examine the attribute portion of the received data packet for the source address and uses the source address to determine whether the received data packet is a first data packet received from the network address translator device, and
• the examining code segment causes the computer to examine the payload portion of the received data packet for the host-assigned identifier that identifies the client device that communicated the received data packet only when the received data packet is determined to be a data packet from the first data packet received from the network address translator device.

A computer program stored on a computer readable medium for a host system to communicate with and to identify at least one client device that communicates with the host system through a network address translator device, comprising:

• an enabling code segment that causes the computer to enable communications from a first client device through the network address translator device;
• a receiving code segment that causes the computer to receive a data packet that includes a payload portion and an attribute portion, wherein the attribute portion includes a destination address that indicates a destination for the data packet and a nearest source address;
• an examining code segment that causes the computer to examine a portion of the received data packet other than the nearest source address for a host-assigned identifier that identifies a client device that communicated the received data packet;
• a processing code segment that causes the computer to process the received data packet in accordance with predetermined host system controls accessible to the host system for the first client device if the host-assigned identifier identifies the first client device;
• and
• an identifying code segment that causes the computer to identify a user of the first client device based on the examined host-assigned identifier and a user identifier, wherein:
• the user identifier includes a user name, and
• the processing code segment causes the computer to process the received data packet based on the examined host-assigned identifier and the user name.

A computer program stored on a computer readable medium for a host system to communicate with and to identify at least one client device that communicates with the host system through a network address translator device, comprising:

• an enabling code segment that causes the computer to enable communications from a first client device through the network address translator device;
• a receiving code segment that causes the computer to receive a data packet that includes a payload portion and an attribute portion, wherein the attribute portion includes a destination address that indicates a destination for the data packet and a nearest source address;
• an examining code segment that causes the computer to examine a portion of the received data packet other than the nearest source address for a host-assigned identifier that identifies a client device that communicated the received data packet;
• a processing code segment that causes the computer to process the received data packet in accordance with predetermined host system controls accessible to the host system for the first client device if the host-assigned identifier identifies the first client device;
• and
• an identifying code segment that causes the computer to identify a user of the first client device based on the examined host-assigned identifier and a user identifier, wherein:
• the user identifier includes a user name and a password, and
• the processing code segment causes the computer to process the received data packet based on the examined host-assigned identifier, the user name, and the password.