The embodiments described herein provide mechanism that allows an embedded router software image and an application to run in the user application memory space of a general purpose computer. A connection is established with an operating system device configured to route packets between the application and the software router and route, by the software router, network traffic to and from the application by way of the connection. The application may be connected to other applications in the user application memory space or connected to applications that are external to the general purpose computer.