Importance

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Abstract

An access point 220 is provided with an access link 212 to a first host 210. The access point 220 has a first link 231 to a wide area network 230 which is the Internet backbone. Packets are communicated on the wide area network 230 using a best effort scheme at an uncontrollable, unpredictable and fluctuating rate. Neither the first host 210 nor the access point 220 are capable of selecting or controlling the rate at which packets are transmitted on the wide area network 230. The access point 220 also has a second link 261 to a guaranteed bandwidth network 260. The access point 220 is able to, on demand, establish a continuous bandwidth channel on the guaranteed bandwidth network 260 with an arbitrary other access point 240, to which another host 250 is connected, at a particular continuous packet transfer rate. The first host 210 can generate a packet requesting that the access point 220 establish a continuous bandwidth session with a second host 250. In response, the access point 220 transmits a packet via the first link 231 and the wide area network 230 to a second access point 240 to which the second host 250 is connected. The transmitted packet contains a request to set up a continuous bandwidth channel with the first host 210. The access point 220, to which the first host 210 is connected, and the second access point 240, to which the second host 250 is connected, establish a continuous bandwidth channel via the second link 261 and guaranteed bandwidth network 260. The access point 220, to which the first host 210 is connected, communicates packets between the first and second hosts 210 and 250 via the second link 261, i.e., receives packets destined to the first host 210 from, or transmits packets originating from the first host 210 to, the second link 261.

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First Claim