Multi-interface mobility client
AssigneeAlcatel Lucent
InventorsGirish P. Chandranmenon, Yui-Wah Lee, Scott C. Miller, Luca Salgarelli, Salim Virani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mobile node comprises: a plurality of network interfaces, each with a respective device driver; a network layer; a multi-interface driver capable of communication with each network interface by way of the respective device driver for that network interface, the multi-interface driver handling communications from the network layer to any of the network interfaces; the multi-interface driver switching from a first one of the network interfaces to a second one of the network interfaces by changing the one of the plurality of network interfaces with which the multi-interface driver communicates, while hiding the switching from the network layer.
Claims20
A method of operating a mobile node having an IPSec layer, comprising the steps of:
- establishing an IPSec session between the mobile node and a virtual private network/IPSec gateway by way of a first network;
- switching from the first network to a second network without disturbing the IPSec session, the switching being effected using mobile IP at a lower layer than the IPSec layer;
- and
- hiding the switching from the IPSec layer by providing a fake MAC layer address of a default router to the IPSec layer, and rewriting MAC layer headers in incoming and outgoing packets in an intermediate driver with correct MAC layer addresses.
A mobile node, comprising:
- a network layer;
- an IPSec driver below the network layer;
- an intermediate driver below the IPSec driver;
- at least one network interface to and from which the intermediate driver sends and receives packets;
- wherein the intermediate driver is configured for switching from a first network to a second network, without disturbing an ongoing IPSec session, the switching being effected using mobile IP at a lower layer than the IPSec layer;
- and
- wherein the intermediate driver is configured for hiding the switching from the IPSec layer by providing a fake MAC layer address of a default router to the IPSec layer, and rewriting MAC layer headers in incoming and outgoing packets with correct MAC layer addresses.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of operating a mobile node having an IPSec layer, the method comprising the steps of:
- establishing an IPSec session between the mobile node and a virtual private network/IPSec gateway by way of a first network;
- switching from the first network to a second network without disturbing the IPSec session, the switching being effected using mobile IP at a lower layer than the IPSec layer;
- and
- hiding the switching from the IPSec layer by providing a fake MAC layer address of a default router to the IPSec layer, and rewriting MAC layer headers in incoming and outgoing packets in an intermediate driver with correct MAC layer addresses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.