Method and apparatus for automatically configuring a computer for different local area networks

• US 20040210649A1
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhogal, Kulvir Singh, Dinh, Hung T., Hu, Teng S., Sidhu, Mandeep S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and data processing system for automatically configuring a networking-enabled device for use with different networks is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a client stores multiple configuration profiles containing configuration settings corresponding to different networks. When the client becomes connected to a network, a router or other form of server detects the addition of the client to the network. In response to the client connecting to the network, the server broadcasts an identifier over the network, which the client receives. The client uses the identifier to identify the appropriate stored configuration profile corresponding to the network. The client then completes its configuration using the identified configuration profile. The present invention thus allows configuration of a client for multiple networks, while avoiding the security risks associated with transmitting dynamic configuration information over the network.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system, the method comprising:

connecting to a network;

receiving from the network a network identifier associated with the network;

identifying a set of configuration settings associated with the network identifier; and

using the set of configuration settings to configure the data processing system for operation on the network.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the set of configuration settings is identified from a plurality of sets of configuration settings stored by the data processing system, and

wherein the plurality of sets of configuration settings are indexed by network identifiers associated with each of the plurality of sets of configuration settings.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network identifier is transmitted over the network by a server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the server is a router.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the server is a general-purpose data processing system.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the server transmits the network identifier in response to determining that the data processing system has connected to the network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network identifier is broadcast over the network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the network identifier is broadcast over the network at regular intervals.

9. A method in a first network element connected to a network, the method comprising:

determining if a second network element has connected to the network;

transmitting over the network an identifier identifying the network in response to a determination that a second network element has connected to the network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifier is broadcast over the network.

11. A computer program product in a computer-readable medium, comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by a data processing system, directs the data processing system to perform actions that include:

connecting to a network;

receiving from the network a network identifier associated with the network;

identifying a set of configuration settings associated with the network identifier; and

using the set of configuration settings to configure the data processing system for operation on the network.

12. The computer program product of claim 11,

wherein the set of configuration settings is identified from a plurality of sets of configuration settings stored by the data processing system, and

wherein the plurality of sets of configuration settings are indexed by network identifiers associated with each of the plurality of sets of configuration settings.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the network identifier is transmitted over the network by a server.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the server is a router.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the server is a general-purpose data processing system.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the server transmits the network identifier in response to determining that the data processing system has connected to the network.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the network identifier is broadcast over the network.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the network identifier is broadcast over the network at regular intervals.

19. A computer program product in a computer-readable medium, comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by a first network element, directs the first network element to perform actions that include:

determining if a second network element has connected to the network;

transmitting over the network an identifier identifying the network in response to a determination that a second network element has connected to the network.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the identifier is broadcast over the network.

21. A data processing system adapted for use as a network element, the data processing system comprising:

means for connecting to a network;

means for receiving from the network a network identifier associated with the network;

means for identifying a set of configuration settings associated with the network identifier; and

means for using the set of configuration settings to configure the data processing system for operation on the network.

22. The data processing system of claim 21,

wherein the set of configuration settings is identified from a plurality of sets of configuration settings stored by the data processing system, and

wherein the plurality of sets of configuration settings are indexed by network identifiers associated with each of the plurality of sets of configuration settings.

23. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the network identifier is transmitted over the network by a server.

24. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the server is a router.

25. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the server is a general-purpose data processing system.

26. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the server transmits the network identifier in response to determining that the data processing system has connected to the network.

27. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the network identifier is broadcast over the network.

28. The data processing system of claim 27, wherein the network identifier is broadcast over the network at regular intervals.

29. A data processing system configured as a first network element, the data processing system:

means for determining if a second network element has connected to the network;

means for transmitting over the network an identifier identifying the network in response to a determination that a second network element has connected to the network.

30. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the identifier is broadcast over the network.