Automatic Proxy Detection and Traversal

1 . A computer implemented method for detecting a proxy, the method comprising:

inspecting one or more network communications being sent from a client computer; and

determining from information contained in the network communication whether the network communication is being sent via a proxy.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising capturing proxy information from the network communications for subsequent use by a network communication application.

3 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein the captured proxy information is used to create a tunnel from the client via the proxy.

4 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising intercepting proxy authentication credentials.

5 . A method according to claim 4 , wherein the captured proxy authentication credentials are used in the creation of a tunnel from the client via the proxy.

6 . (canceled)

7 . A method for creating a tunnel for network communications between a client and a server over a network, the method comprising:

inspecting one or more network communications being sent from a client computer;

determining from information contained in the network communication whether the network communication is being sent via a proxy;

if the network communication is being sent via proxy, capturing proxy information from the network communication; and

using the captured proxy information to create the tunnel from the client via the proxy.

8 . A method according to claim 7 , further comprising capturing proxy authentication credentials from the network message and using the captured proxy authentication credentials in the creation of a tunnel from the client via the proxy.

9 . A client computer comprising:

a processor;

a network interface for connection to a network; and

an application installed on or accessible from the client computer and executable by the processor to cause the client computer to:

inspect one or more network communications being sent from the client computer; and

determine from information contained in the network communication whether the network communication is being sent via a proxy.

10 . (canceled)

11 . A computer readable medium carrying a computer program, that when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

inspect one or more network communications being sent from a client computer; and

determine from information contained in the network communication whether the network communication is being sent via a proxy.

12 . The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to capture proxy information from the network communications for subsequent use by a network communication application.

13 . The computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to use the captured proxy information to create a tunnel from the client computer via the proxy.

14 . The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to intercept proxy authentication credentials and to create a tunnel from the client computer via the proxy.