British Telecommunications Public Limited Company

Malcolm Hubert

David Townend

Keith Briggs

Thomas Curry

A communications router () is provided with an add-on device () for diverting data traffic over a replacement connection () when a primary connection route () meets a failover criterion. Traffic addressed to an allocated network address associated with the primary connection () is diverted to a network termination of the replacement connection () by a routing function () if the replacement connection () has been authenticated by an authentication system (). Authentication is provided by setting up an association between the internet IP address of the router () when addressed through the link (), and a network identity of the add-in unit (). This may achieved by having the add-on unit (), when first installed, transmit its identity of a SIM over the fixed line connection () to the authentication system (), which can then associate that SIM identity with the network address from which it has been received so that during a subsequent failover condition traffic addressed to the fixed-line network address can be diverted to the replacement connection, thereby allowing the same network address to be used during the failover condition.

Failover system and method for diverting data traffic over a replacement access network

This disclosure provides a network node, and a method of operating the network node, having one or more communications interfaces connectable to a first communications network and to a second communications network, the method including the network node accessing a service using the first communications network; analyzing data relating to the first communications network to identify a plurality of fault-indicative events; determining a rate of the plurality of fault-indicative events per unit time; and the network node accessing the service using the second communications network in response to a first trigger, wherein the first trigger is based on the rate of the plurality of fault-indicative events per unit time.

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London, United Kingdom

Malcolm Hubert