Pattern description

A connection to the Internet is a critical component to many devices at home and the office. Home computers, televisions, and even disk players require ready access to the Internet to open a new range of features for the end-user to enjoy.

Typically, in-home devices make outbound calls to download and return requested information. This could be done via a web service call when the device starts up or is scheduled through a built-in polling system to check new content. This mechanism is efficient when updates are infrequent.

A new range of possibilities arise when connections outside home and office can be made back to the devices. This would allow for remote users to make adjustments, as needed, to in-home devices in order to view pictures or access data. Technical users can use a combination of home-router adjustments and a dynamic DNS service to keep a pathway open for external access—with of course the risk of opening these ports to the outside world. Professional devices...