Lawful interception in IP networks

1. A method to provide lawful interception of traffic associated with a network device in an internet protocol (IP) network, comprising

providing a lawful interception device in a physical IP network infrastructure that also includes at least a first switch, a monitored network device associated with a party of interest, and at least one other network device;

configuring a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) comprising the lawful interception device and the monitored network device in a logical network infrastructure; and

monitoring traffic on the VLAN using the lawful interception device, including monitoring packets between the monitored network device and one or more other network devices without the party of interest being aware of the monitoring;

wherein the lawful interception device configures the VLAN by sending a request to the first switch with VLAN configuration information comprising at least one of port grouping information, MAC-layer address information, IP multicast group information, IEEE 801.1Q frame tag information, Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP) tag information, and GARP VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP) drop/add information in the same manner that switches would configure VLANs;

wherein the lawful interception device and the monitored network device are end-nodes in relation to the first switch.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first switch uses Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP) VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP) to configure the VLAN.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the lawful interception device and the monitored network device are in the same static broadcast domain.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the lawful interception device and the monitored network device belong to different class-C networks.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the traffic monitored on the VLAN includes multimedia data transported over real-time transport protocol (RTP) channels.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the multimedia data monitored on the VLAN includes a voice communication, a video, and a fax transmission.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the physical IP network infrastructure includes a second switch in operative communication with the first switch via a router, wherein the lawful interception device is an end-node in relation to the first switch and the monitored network device is an end-node in relation to the second switch.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the lawful interception device and the monitored network device are in different static broadcast domains.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the first switch uses Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP) VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP) to configure the VLAN.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein the second switch uses Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP) VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP) to configure the VLAN.

11. The method according to claim 7 wherein the lawful interception device configure the VLAN by acting as a switch and sending requests to the first and second switches.

12. A method for packet interception in an internet protocol (IP) telephone network, comprising:

providing an interception customer premises equipment (CPE) in a physical IP network infrastructure that also includes at least a first switch, a monitored CPE associated with a party of interest, and one or more other CPEs;

configuring a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) comprising the interception CPE and the monitored CPE in a logical IP network infrastructure; and

intercepting traffic on the VLAN using the interception CPE, including intercepting packets between the monitored CPE and at least one other CPE;

wherein the interception CPE configures the VLAN by sending a request to the first switch with VLAN configuration information comprising at least one of port grouping information, MAC-layer address information, IP multicast group information, IEEE 801.1Q frame tag information, Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP) tag information, and GARP VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP) drop/add information in the same manner that switches would configure VLANs;

wherein the interception CPE and the monitored CPE are end-nodes in relation to the first switch.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the interception CPE, monitored CPE, and other CPEs are connected via at least one of ADSL and ISDN.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein the VLAN is configured using simple network management protocol (SNMP).

15. A system, comprising:

a physical network infrastructure comprising at least a first switch, an interception device, a monitored network device, and at least one other network device; and

a logical network infrastructure comprising a virtual local area network (VLAN) that includes the interception device and the monitored network device;

wherein the interception device monitors traffic on the VLAN, including packets between the monitored network device and one or more other network devices without the party of interest being aware of the monitoring;

wherein the interception device configures the VLAN by sending a request to the first switch with VLAN configuration information comprising at least one of port grouping information, MAC-layer address information, IP multicast group information, IEEE 801.1Q frame tag information, Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP) tag information, and GARP VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP) drop/add information in the same manner that switches would configure VLANs;

wherein the interception device and the monitored network device are end-nodes in relation to the first switch.

16. The system according to claim 15 wherein the first switch uses Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP) VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP) to configure the VLAN.

17. The system according to claim 15 wherein the interception device and the monitored network device belong to different classic C networks.

18. The system according to claim 15 wherein the physical IP network infrastructure includes a second switch in operative communication with the first switch via a router, wherein the interception device is an end-node in relation to the first switch and the monitored network device is an end-node in relation to the second switch.