Method and apparatus supporting network communications through a firewall

A method of communicating information between a first program and a second program over a network is described. The method includes relaying the information between the first program and a first communications program over a first network connection, relaying the information between the first communications program and a second communications program over a second network connection and relaying the information between the second communications program and the second program over a third network connection. Further, the first communications program creates the second network connection to the second communications program through a first firewall program, which prevents access to the first program initiated by the second program. Thus, the second network connection is initiated by the first communications program. The first communications program can be, for example, a protocol daemon and the second communications program can be, for example, a relay program. The first firewall program can also be configured to prevent access to the first program initiated by the second communications program.