System using server to provide mobile computer accessing to a different network without reconfiguring the mobile computer

A server for providing a user access to a network for a computer that is configured for a different network, the server comprising:

• a registration module for automatically determining and assigning an Internet Protocol (IP) address for the computer connected on the foreign network;
• a registration driver for registering the computer in association with addressing information including the assigned IP address and a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the computer, and for storing and maintaining the addressing information for registered computers;
• a packet fitter for filtering packets to permit only the registered computers to access the network;
• and
• a packet driver module for translating an IP address in a packet based on the MAC address;
• and
• wherein the server allows the computer to access the network via a foreign network without user initiated software or hardware configuration changes, and transparently directs traffic to and from the computer from and to the network based on the addressing information;
• and
• the registration driver comprises a user interface for collecting and maintaining billing and registration status information, and for identifying the computer for billing purposes by using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and a network switching architecture to identify a switch port to which the computer is connected.

A server for providing a user access to an external network for a mobile computer, the mobile computer configured for a first network, the server comprising:

• a registration module for registering the mobile computer to access the network;
• a registration driver for transparently assigning internet protocol (IP) address to the computer, and for maintaining and accessing addressing information including the assigned IP address and a media access control (MAC) address of the computer, wherein the assigned IP address assigned to the mobile computer is mapped to the MAC address of the mobile computer;
• an internal interface for connecting the server to the computer;
• an external interface for connecting the server to the external network;
• a packet driver module for performing network address translation (NAT) between the assigned IP address and a configured IP address of the mobile computer at the internal interface based on the MAC address;
• a packet fitter for filtering packets to permit transmission of the packets to and from the external interface from and to the internal interface based on registration status;
• a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) module for servicing DHCP request based on the assigned IP address;
• and
• an address resolution protocol (ARP) module for detecting an ARP request and for causing the registration driver to associate the MAC address and the assigned IP address,
• wherein in response to the traffic from the computer to the external network, the server transparently redirects the traffic and accesses the external network based on the addressing information.