Method of detecting intermediary communication device

A method of detecting an intermediary communication device in a communication path of a target communication device, comprising the steps of:

• a) inserting a sensor in the communication path of the target communication device;
• b) recording at the sensor a user-definable number of communication packets to and from the target communication device;
• c) recording a time at the sensor for each communication packet recorded in step (b);
• d) identifying a communication packets recorded in step (b) that are in a first user-definable interconnection layer;
• e) if the number of communication packets identified in step (d) is above a user-definable threshold then calculating a minimum latency time for the communication packets identified in step (d) using the times recorded in step (c) for the communication packets, otherwise if the communication packets recorded in step (b) include communication packets of a second user-definable interconnection layer then changing the first user-definable interconnection layer to the second user-definable interconnection layer and returning to step (d), otherwise returning to step (b);
• f) identifying communication packets recorded in step (b) that are in a third user-definable interconnection layer, where the third user-definable interconnection layer is at a different communication processing level than that of the first user-definable interconnection layer;
• g) if the number of communication packets identified in step (f) is above a user-definable threshold then calculating a minimum latency time for the communication packets identified in step (f) using the times recorded in step (c) for the communication packets, otherwise if the communication packets recorded in step (b) include communication packets of a fourth user-definable interconnect layer, where the fourth user-definable interconnection layer is at a different communication processing level than that of the first user-definable interconnect layer, then changing the type of the third user-definable interconnect layer to that of the fourth user-definable interconnect layer and returning to step (f), otherwise returning to step (b);
• and
• h) if an absolute difference between the results of step (e) and step (g) is above a user-definable threshold then determining that an intermediary communication device is in the communication path of the target communication device.