Method and computer program product for automatically generating an internet protocol (IP) address
First Claim
1. In a host that has been connected to a network that does not have an IP address server and is not connected with any network having an IP address server, a method for automatically generating an IP address for the host, without another component of the network being required to transmit, to the host over the network, an IP address of said other component, the method comprising the steps of:
- without the host having received over the network any IP address of another component of the network, selecting a valid network identifying value as a network identifying portion of the IP address for the host;
without the host having received over the network said any IP address of another component of the network, generating a host identifying portion of the IP address for the host based on information available to the host; and
testing the generated IP address for the host for conflicting usage by another host on the network and determining that no conflicting usage of the generated IP address exists.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and computer product for automatically generating an IP network address that facilitates simplified network connection and administration for small-scale IP networks without IP address servers, such as those found in a small business or home network environment. First, a proposed IP address is generated by selecting a network identifying portion (sometimes known as an IP network prefix) while deterministically generating the host identifying portion based on information available to the IP host. For example, the IEEE 802 Ethernet address found in the network interface card may be used with a deterministic hashing function to generate the host identifying portion of the IP address. Next, the generated IP address is tested on the network to assure that no existing IP host is using that particular IP address. If the generated IP address already exists, then a new IP address is generated, otherwise, the IP host will use the generated IP address to communicate over the network. While using the generated IP address, if an IP address server subsequently becomes available, the host will conform to IP address server protocols for receiving an assigned IP address and gradually cease using the automatically generated IP address.
176 Citations
35 Claims
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1. In a host that has been connected to a network that does not have an IP address server and is not connected with any network having an IP address server, a method for automatically generating an IP address for the host, without another component of the network being required to transmit, to the host over the network, an IP address of said other component, the method comprising the steps of:
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without the host having received over the network any IP address of another component of the network, selecting a valid network identifying value as a network identifying portion of the IP address for the host; without the host having received over the network said any IP address of another component of the network, generating a host identifying portion of the IP address for the host based on information available to the host; and testing the generated IP address for the host for conflicting usage by another host on the network and determining that no conflicting usage of the generated IP address exists. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a host that has been connected to a network that initially does not have an IP address server and is not connected with any network having an IP address server, a method for automatically generating an IP address for the host, without another network component being required to transmit, to the host over the network, an IP address of said other network component, the method comprising the steps of:
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after the host has been connected to the network, initially determining that an IP address server is not available over the network; selecting a valid network identifying value as a network identifying portion of the IP address for the host without the host having received the valid network identifying value from another component of the network; deterministically generating a host identifying portion of the IP address for the host based on information available to the host, the information available to the host being information other than a host identifying portion of an IP address for any other host; testing the generated IP address for the host for usage conflict by another host on the network and determining that no conflicting usage of the generated IP address exists; and ascertaining if an IP address server later becomes available over the network. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for automatically generating a host IP address in a host that has been connected to a network that does not have an IP address server initially without another component of the network being required to transmit an IP address of the other component to the host, said computer-executable instructions comprising:
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means for communicating over the network; after the host has been connected to the network, means for determining that an IP address server is not currently available over the network; means for consistently selecting the network identifying portion of the host IP address from valid network identifying portion values without the host having received the valid network identifying portion values from another component of the network; means for deterministically generating the host identifying portion of the host IP address based on information available to the host; means for testing the generated host IP address for conflicting usage by another host on the network before using the generated host IP address, the information available to the host being information other than a host identifying portion of an IP address for any other host; means for monitoring the generated host IP address for conflicting usage by another host on the network while the generated host IP address is being used; means for ascertaining if the IP address server later becomes available over the network; means for requesting and receiving a new IP address from the IP address server when the IP address server becomes available over the network; and means for gradually discontinuing use of the generated host IP address when the IP address server becomes available over the network. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. In a host that has been connected to a network that does not have an IP address server and is not connected with any network having an address server, a method for automatically generating an IP address for the host, without another component of the network being required to transmit, to the host over the network, an IP address of said other component, the method comprising the steps of:
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without the host having received over the network any IP address of another component of the network, selecting a valid network identifying value as a network identifying portion of the IP address for the host; and without the host having received over the network said any IP address of another component of the network, generating a host identifying portion of the IP address for the host based on information available to the host. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification