Network traffic accelerator

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of:

• establishing, by a component at a first device, a communications connection across a network with a second device, the second device in communication with a content origin server;
• detecting, by the component at the first device, issuance of a request from an application executing on the first device for content resident on the content origin server;
• sending, by the component at the first device, a message over the communications connection to the second device specifying a mapping between a destination port and a host name for the content origin server;
• storing, by the component at the first device, the mapping between the destination port and the host name;
• intercepting, by the component at the first device, a connection request issued by an operating system component and immediately responding to the connection request with a success message;
• sending, by the component at the first device, the connection request to the second device using the stored destination port.

A system, comprising:

• a communications subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware at a first device, that establishes a communications connection across a network with a second device, the second device in communication with a content origin server;
• wherein the communications subsystem detects issuance of a request from an application executing on the first device for content resident on the content origin server;
• wherein the communications subsystem sends a message over the communications connection to the second device specifying a mapping between a destination port and a host name for the content origin server;
• a storage subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware at the first device, that stores the mapping between the destination port and the host name;
• wherein the communications subsystem intercepts a connection request issued by an operating system component and immediately responds to the connection request with a success message;
• wherein the communications subsystem sends the connection request to the second device using the stored destination port.