A method of the Virtual Private Network (VPN) communication employed for a security
gateway apparatus and the security gateway apparatus using the same, which allow
a personal computer outside a local area network (LAN) to access, via a WAN, to
a terminal on the LAN, virtually regarding the outside PC as a terminal on the
LAN. The communication method is employed for a security gateway apparatus to connect,
through concentration and conversion process, between a LAN and a WAN including
a public network. Security Architecture for the Internet Protocol (IPsec) establishes
VPN with an outside PC having a dialup connection to the WAN. During an Internet
Key Exchange (IKE) communication that is performed prior to the IPsec communication,
the security gateway apparatus integrates a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
(DHCP) communication option into an IKE data, and designates the IP address of
the outside PC from a tunneled IP packet.