Custodian routing with network address translation in content-centric networks

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for facilitating establishment of connections between a local endpoint and a remote endpoint. During operation, the system sends (614), from the local endpoint, a single connection-request message to a proxy server (604), which forks (616,618) the single connection-request message to a number of remote endpoints. The system receives one or more response messages (620,622) from the remote endpoints. A respective response message carries address information associated with the remote endpoint. Upon receiving the response message, the system sends an acknowledgment (632,634) corresponding to the received response message to the corresponding remote endpoint via the proxy server, and establishes (636-642) a connection between the local endpoint and at least one remote endpoint.