Multi-Internet: expanding the use of Internet
Multi-Internet applications and benefits

Lightning's Multi-Internet ® technology brings key competitive advantages to ISPs and corporate customers, allowing them to use the same simple path through the Internet for multiple uses.

Lightning's Multi-Internet Technology consists of five major inter-working components:

  • Multi-PAT
  • Multi-NAT
  • Built-in SecureWall™ firewall
  • Dynamic IP-address handling
  • Fully classless TCP/IP routing

This smart combination allows to virtually assign any internal (Intranet) IP-address to any external (Internet or Extranet) IP-address, including dynamically allocated addresses. Even groups of Intranet IP addresses can be assigned to Internet-addresses. The above figure illustrates the possible combinations and their applications.

To be fully effective, Lightning's Multi-Internet-capable MultiCom routers must be used in the remote location, while a Multi-Internet-aware ISP setup should be made at the central location, either using Lightning routers or existing equipment from third parties. This new technology will allow ISPs to efficiently differentiate their offering by providing new services with high added value.

Application 1
Extranets and VPNs

Translating specifical groups of Intranet computers to corresponding external Internet addresses, routed into an Extranet over the Internet, allows ISPs with an Extranet infrastructure to very simply connect Intranets together, while providing Internet access to the rest of the internal network.

This application is useful in a variety of situations: multinational companies with distributed departments, communities of companies working together, schools with administration and education networks, and so on.

Application 2:
Differentiated Internet Access

Sometimes, different parts of a company need different Quality of Service (QoS) for their Internet or Intranet access. Bundling different groups of computers from the same location into distinct Internet or Extranet addresses can allow the provision of differentiated Priority, Bandwidth and Quality of Service: all costly features, which can now be applied only to the parts of the company really needing them. Typical examples include Internet and Intranet Servers, dedicated high-quality Extranet services of ISPs.

Application 3
Linking multiple customers or even ISPs

Sometimes, industrial buildings host multiple companies, which may want to share a single access line to an Internet access. With Lightning's Multi-Internet technology, this is now possible, providing each company with a dedicated Internet access and own Internet addresses, but using the same access line, be it ISDN or a leased line. ISPs are also users of this new technology.

Application 4:
Remote Maintenance and Support

For all branch-specific, customer-adapted, software applications, like Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications, the service company, which installed the application, may also provide remote maintenance service. The new Lightning Multi-Internet technology allows to route and translate incompatible IP addresses of the customers into IP addresses compatible with the service company's internal network, providing on-line network-based remote maintenance to all customer's servers and computers. All kinds of companies are interested in this new Lightning technology.

France Telecom Oleane
Oléane

France Télécom's subsidiary Oléane, one of the major ISPs in France, approved and uses Lightning's Multi-Internet technology, making the Pocket MultiCom its only "Highly-Recommended" access-router for all its types of ISDN Internet and Intranet accesses.

Multi-Internet is available as a standard feature on all members of the MultiCom family starting in software release 2.5 and 3.1.

®  Multi-Internet is a registered trademark of Lightning MultiCom SA
 
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