TRAFFIC DIVERSION IN AN ETHERNET-BASED ACCESS NETWORK

摘要

In a broadband Ethernet-based access network that employs traffic separation such that all traffic is routed via an edge node, the volume of traffic exchanged between end users connected to the access network, i.e. peer-to-peer traffic, represents a large burden on network capacity. This is alleviated in accordance with the proposed method and arrangement when the edge node identifies peer-to-peer traffic and generates address conversion information for access nodes connected to the end users concerned. The access nodes are then able to identify packets forming part of the peer-to-peer connection, modify address information to conceal the address of source end user from destination end user and vice versa and reroute the packets through the access network to the destination end user without passing through the edge node.