An apparatus for and a method of simulating the functionality of the gatekeeper
in a LAN telephony system. The gatekeeper simulator of the present invention enables
tester personnel to manually control the behavior of the gatekeeper and its environment.
The gatekeeper simulation platform utilizes a commonly available computing platform
such as a personal computer (PC) adapted so as to have a LAN connection interface
such as a commonly available Network Interface Card (NIC), IP communication stack
and an H.323 protocol stack. A gatekeeper simulation software application runs
over the IP communication stack and H.323 protocol stack which together constitute
a LAN telephony platform. The gatekeeper simulator is adapted to simulate any desired
request supported by the H.323 protocol suite. In addition, it is adapted to simulate
all possible responses to a request as well. Further, it is adapted to simulate
the responses selectively and individually for each specific user in the network.
In addition, the simulator comprises a pre-programmed address translation table
(i.e. IP phone table) that can be configured and programmed by a user to contain
the same information it would have contained as a result of IP phones having been registered.
