METHOD, SYSTEM amp; COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR DISCOVERING CHARACTERISTICS OF MIDDLEBOXES

摘要

A method, computer program product, communications device and system for enabling an end node or terminal to discover one or more characteristics of a firewall on the communications path between the end node and a data network are provided. In particular, middlebox configuration protocols have been extended to allow a user to run additional tests in order to determine, for example, whether a discovered firewall blocks unsolicited incoming requests, as well as what the length of time associated with a particular state created by the discovered firewall is.