network device is managed using unsecure snmpv1 or snmpv2 the invention acts as an intermediary and applies snmpv3 security without the need to migrate the existing network management code to snmpv3 the invention can be delivered in the form of a stand alone box or be integrated into existing products application_number US 62009907 A description turning now to fig1 according to the illustrated embodiment a pair of network management stations 10 12 are coupled to a secure local area network 14 also referred to as a first intermediate network a manager tunnel endpoint mte 16 also referred to as a first intermediate network interface is coupled to the network 14 and to a wide area network 18 also referred to as a communication network two device tunnel endpoints dtes 20 22 are coupled to the wide area network 18 each dte 20 22 also referred to as a second intermediate network interface is coupled to a respective secure local area network 24 26 also referred to as second intermediate networks each local area network 24 26 is respectively coupled to two managed network devices 28 30 32 34 the mte 16 contains core configuration information about the addresses of the dtes and the managed network devices exemplary mte core configuration information is shown in table 1 table 1 associates the addresses of the managed network devices 28 30 32 and 34 with the addresses of the dtes 20 22 that serve them if the mte is not on the same ip host as the managers it is also provided with manager packet receptor information table 2 is exemplary of manager packet receptor information the dtes 20 22 each contain core configuration information about the addresses of the mte and the network management stations exemplary.