SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING REDIRECTIONS
A redirection of a URL page request may be performed by monitoring an upstream path from a subscriber to the internet through an ISP. When a URL page request is detected from a subscriber for whom a redirection is required, a redirection device generates a single TCP packet response that mimics a response from the intended destination server. The single TCP packet includes a set FIN bit that closes any active session with the destination server to prevent the subscriber from accepting packets from the destination server.
1 . A method for providing a notification service to a subscriber of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) comprising:
monitoring upstream traffic through the ISP from the subscriber;
detecting a URL page request from the subscriber to a destination server;
generating a redirection to the notification service in response to detection of the URL page request; and
providing the redirection to the subscriber;
wherein the redirection comprises a single packet, the single packet closing an active session between the subscriber and the destination server.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein generating the redirection comprises generating a single packet that mimics a response from the destination server.
3 . The method of claim 2 wherein generating the single packet comprises generating a TCP header comprising a set FIN bit.
4 . The method of claim 2 wherein generating the single packet comprises generating redirection data comprising an identity of an alternative web page server.
5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the alternative web page server comprises a bulletin server of the Internet Service Provider.
6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising processing the URL page request to determine a subscriber identity and determining whether a notification is pending for the subscriber identity.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring the upstream traffic comprises copying at least selected packets of the upstream traffic to a redirection device.
8 . The method of claim 7 comprising allowing the URL page request to pass to the destination server.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the URL page request comprises a TCP GET request.
10 . The method of claim 1 comprising processing the redirection.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein processing the redirection comprises generating a bulletin service and providing the bulletin service to the subscriber.
12 . A method of redirecting a web page request from a subscriber comprising:
generating a single TCP packet comprising redirection data and a set FIN bit;
providing the TCP packet to the subscriber.
13 . The method of claim 12 comprising:
receiving a web page request;
determining an identity of a web page server identified in the web page request; and
creating a TCP header mimicking a response from the web page server;
creating the single TCP packet with the TCP header.
14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the set FIN bit terminates a session between the subscriber and the web page server.
15 . An Internet Service Provider comprising:
a router; and
a redirection device;
wherein the router copies selected packets from a subscriber to the redirection device; and
wherein the redirection device:
determines from copied packets whether a redirection is required;
generates a redirection packet comprising redirection data and a set FIN bit; and
provides the redirection packet to the subscriber.
16 . The Internet Service Provider of claim 15 wherein the redirection device generates a TCP header and generates the redirection packet comprising the TCP header.
17 . The Internet Service Provider of claim 16 wherein the redirection device generates the TCP header with a set FIN bit.
18 . The Internet Service Provider of claim 15 wherein the redirection data comprises data identifying a bulletin server of the Internet Service Provider.
19 . The Internet Service Provider of claim 15 further comprising a consolidation and management device and at least one database, wherein:
the redirection device determines a subscriber identity of a subscriber from a copied packet;
the consolidation and management device executes at least one query on the at least one database using the subscriber identity to determine if a redirection for the subscriber is pending.
20 . The Internet Service Provider of claim 15 wherein the router allows the selected packets to pass through the Internet Service Provider to a destination server.