ARP relay

• US 20070064691A1
• Filed: 08/22/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Peschi, Robert Nicolas Louis, Cetin, Riza
• Application Number:
  US11/507,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20070064691A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

The present invention relates to an access unit comprising: at least one user port for coupling to a user device, at least one network port for coupling to an edge router, a local repository wherein user network addresses are held in one-to-one relationship with user port identifiers, a forwarding unit coupled to the at least one user port and the at least one network port, and adapted to receive through a particular user port a request to resolve a particular network address into a hardware address, and to forward the request through a particular network port towards the edge router, An access unit according to the invention further comprises a forwarding control unit coupled to the local repository and to the forwarding unit, and adapted to get from the local repository a particular port identifier associated with the particular network address, and to discard the request if the particular port identifier identifies the particular port.

Claims

1. An access unit (21) comprising:

at least one user port (101 to 107) for coupling to a user device (11, 12),

at least one network port (111) for coupling to an edge router (32),

a local repository (124) wherein user network addresses (IP@) are held in one-to-one relationship with user port identifiers (portID),

a forwarding unit (121) coupled to said at least one user port and said at least one network port, and adapted to receive through a particular user port (103) a request (ARP1) to resolve a particular network address (IP@2) into a hardware address, and to forward said request through a particular network port (111) towards said edge router,

characterized in that said access unit further comprises a forwarding control unit (122) coupled to said local repository and to said forwarding unit, and adapted to get from said local repository a particular port identifier (portID1) associated with said particular network address, and to discard said request if said particular port identifier identifies said particular port.

2. An access unit according to claim 1, characterized in that said access unit is a digital subscriber line access unit.

3. An access unit according to claim 1, characterized in that said request is an ARP request.