Power saving in wireless packet based networks

• US 20060007924A1
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Sadot, Emek
• Granted Patent: US 7,920,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/203 ATM switching fabrics with multicast or broadcast capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method of handling broadcast packets, which are for a single network unit. The method includes receiving, by a network device, a packet, having a broadcast address, but directed to a single network unit and forwarding the packet through a plurality of ports of the network device, but not through at least one port of the device through which the packet was not received.

Claims

1. A method of handling broadcast packets, which are for a single network unit, comprising:

receiving, by a network device, a packet, having a broadcast address, but directed to a single network unit; and

forwarding the packet through a plurality of ports of the network device, but not through at least one port of the device through which the packet was not received.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the packet comprises receiving an address allocation request or response.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the packet comprises receiving a DHCP packet.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein receiving the packet comprises receiving a DHCP request packet.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein receiving the packet comprises receiving a DHCP response packet.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein receiving the packet comprises receiving a DHCP response packet directed to a wire connected unit.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein receiving the packet comprises receiving a DHCP response packet directed to a wireless unit.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein forwarding the packet comprises forwarding through ports not leading to wireless units.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein forwarding the packet comprises forwarding through a list of ports configured in the network device.

10. A method of handling broadcast packets, which are for a single network unit, comprising:

receiving, by a network device, a packet, having a broadcast address, but directed to a single network unit;

replacing the broadcast address of the packet to a unicast address of the network unit for which the packet is intended; and

forwarding the packet as a unicast packet.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein receiving the packet comprises receiving a DHCP packet.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein receiving the packet comprises receiving a DHCP response packet.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein receiving the packet comprises receiving a DHCP request packet.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein replacing the broadcast address comprises replacing to a unicast address extracted from an application field of the packet.

15. A network device, comprising:

a plurality of physical ports;

an input interface for receiving packets through the ports;

a determination module, adapted to identify in the packets received by the input interface packets that have a broadcast address, but are directed to a single network unit; and

a forwarding unit adapted to forward packets identified by the determination module through a plurality of the physical ports, but not through at least one port of the device through which the packet was not received.

16. A device according to claim 15, wherein the determination module is adapted to identify DHCP packet.

17. A device according to claim 15, comprising a configuration module adapted to configure the forwarding unit with a list of ports through which identified packets are to be forwarded.

18. A device according to claim 17, wherein the configuration module is adapted to exchange control packets with neighboring network devices to determine the ports through which identified packets are to be forwarded.

19. A device according to claim 17, comprising a user interface for receiving indications of the ports through which identified packets are to be forwarded from a human operator.

20. A network device, comprising:

a plurality of physical ports;

an input interface for receiving packets through the ports;

a determination module, adapted to identify in the packets received by the input interface packets that have a broadcast address, but are directed to a single network unit; and

a replacing module adapted to replace the broadcast address of the packet to a unicast address of the network unit for which the packet is intended.

21. A device according to claim 20, wherein the replacing module is adapted to determine the unicast address from an application field of the packet.