Alcatel

Nick Marly

Stéphane Focant

Dominique Helena Lucia Chantrain

A method and related apparatus for connecting first and second user-terminals to one another over a network (e.g., the internet) containing a plurality of user-terminals and a plurality of respective network access servers. When the second user-terminal connects to its respective network access server, this network access server sends connection information to the subscriber data server which updates its database with this connection information. The subscriber data server handles an incoming call request, from a first user-terminal connected to a first virtual private network, to establish a connection between the first user-terminal and the second user-terminal that is connected to a second virtual private network. The subscriber data server at first searches in its database for connection information of the second user-terminal and then determines the respective network access server that is connected to the second user-terminal based on the determined connection information. Then the second user-terminal is notified about the request for communication by the first user-terminal, and then initiates and controls a switch-over of the connection of the second user-terminal from the second virtual private network to the first virtual private network. The respective network access server of the second user-terminal switches the connection of the second user-terminal from the second virtual private network to the first virtual private network. Then at the switch-over of the connection of the second user-terminal from the second virtual private network to the first virtual private network there is also connection information sent by the adjacent respective network access server to the subscriber data server.

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Ghent, Belgium

Nick Marly