Address Server for Cross-LAN Device Discovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Devices operating on different local area networks within the same environment often face challenges in establishing direct communications due to the use of local addresses that are not visible to wide area networks or other local networks, leading to difficulties in device discovery and connectivity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an address server on the wide area network that provides a sequence of network addresses associated with a target device, allowing client devices to initiate connections using these addresses, thereby overcoming the limitations of local address visibility and router configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If devices use local addresses for communication within their own LAN, then communication within the local network is efficient and direct, but the device becomes invisible to other LANs and WANs, preventing cross-network connectivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network addressing system into multiple levels: local LAN addresses for intra-network communication and registered WAN addresses for inter-network communication. Devices maintain their local addresses for efficient LAN communication while simultaneously registering with address servers on the WAN, creating separate address spaces for different network scopes.
Solution Approach 2:
Address servers act as intermediaries between devices on different networks. When a device needs to communicate with another device on a different LAN, the source device queries the address server which translates the request into the appropriate routing path through routers and gateways, mediating the connection between devices that cannot directly see each other's local addresses.
2Adaptability or versatility
If routers and gateways are used to connect multiple LANs, then network expansion and flexibility are improved, but devices on different LANs cannot directly locate or communicate with each other due to address translation and routing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Devices perform preliminary registration with address servers before communication is needed. Each device proactively registers its local address and network location information with the address server system in advance, so when communication is required, the address translation and routing path are already established, eliminating the need for complex real-time discovery protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The address server system provides feedback mechanisms where devices can query the current status of registered addresses and receive updates about network topology changes. This feedback loop allows devices to adapt to network changes automatically without manual reconfiguration, maintaining ease of operation as the network expands.
Data Source
AI summary
Various systems, device and automated processes allow video streaming hosts or other server devices to publish their internal/local addresses (e.g., addresses used on a subnet or other local area network) to a backend address server operating on a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet. Client devices attempting to subsequently contact server devices operating in the same local network can contact the address to obtain the internal address of the target server, thereby allowing direct LAN connections between clients and servers.