Method and system for redirecting networked traffic
A method of redirecting network traffic from a first, uncontrolled network to a second, controlled network by rewriting the Type of Service field in the header information of an Internet Protocol (IP) packet so as to include a service code indicating that the IP packet cannot access the uncontrolled network, thereby redirecting the network traffic to a second network element.
1. A method of redirecting network traffic from an uncontrolled access network to a controlled access network, the method comprising:
receiving, from a first network element, a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) packets initially routed to an intended destination address on a first destination network element on the uncontrolled access network;
re-writing IP packet header information of at least one IP packet based on a service class of the first network element to redirect the at least one IP packet to a destination address differing from the intended destination address;
encapsulating, at a first intermediate network device, the at least one IP packet with rewritten IP packet header information;
receiving, at a second intermediate network device, the at least one encapsulated IP packet having rewritten IP packet service class header information;
performing, based on the rewritten IP packet service class header information and on a route map directive, IP address matching by comparing the rewritten IP packet service class header information to an access control list; and
if the rewritten IP packet header information matches an item from the access control list, redirecting the at least one IP packet through an interface tunnel specified in a route map directive to a redirected destination address of a second destination network element, different from the first destination network element, on the controlled access network.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rewriting a type of service field within the IP packet header information of the at least one IP packet.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein an address of the uncontrolled access network is not modified in the IP packet header information of the at least one IP packet.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network element is a cable modem.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rewriting IP packet header information of a second one of the plurality of IP packets based on a service class of a second network element, the service class of the second network element maintained at the first intermediate network device.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising rewriting a type of service field of the IP packet header information of the second one of the IP packets.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a service class of the first network element based on parameters defining interactions between the first network element and other devices.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first intermediate network device is a cable modem termination system.
9. A method of redirecting network traffic from an uncontrolled access network to a controlled access network, the method comprising:
receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) packet identifying an intended destination address on the uncontrolled access network in IP packet header information;
re-writing IP packet header information on an IP packet to redirect the IP packet to a destination address differing from the intended destination address;
encapsulating, at a first intermediate network device, the IP packet with rewritten IP packet header information based on a service class of a network element;
performing IP address matching by comparing the IP packet header information to an access control list; and
redirecting the IP packet to a redirected destination address on the controlled access network through an interface tunnel specified in a route map directive if the rewritten IP packet service class header information matches an item from the access control list.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the intermediate device is a cable model termination system.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the network element is a cable modem.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the access control list is configured to permit or deny network traffic according to a service level associated with the traffic.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the access control list comprises differentiated service code point values.