Hardware address adaptation

• US 6,363,071 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2001
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BBNT Solutions LLC (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Brannigan, Matthew Aloysius, Evans, Shelby Alana, Almeida, Aswin Morgan, Fink, Russell Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US09/834,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/392, 370/400-404, 370/410, 370/466, 370/467, 370/401, 713/200, 713/201, 709/255, 709/227
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for adapting a link layer address of a network device. A first input/output 410 port is connected to receive data from a first network node 140. The first input/output port 410 has a link layer address and is configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses. A second input/output port 420 is connected to output the data to a second network node 160. The second input/output port 420 has a link layer address and is configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses. A processor adapts the link layer address of the first input/output port 410 to correspond to a link layer address of the second network node 160 and adapts the link layer address of the second input/output port 420 to correspond to a link layer address of the first network node 140.

Claims

1. An apparatus for adapting a link layer address of a network device, said apparatus comprising:

a first input/output port connected to receive data from a first network node, said first input/output port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

a second input/output port connected to output the data to a second network node, said second input/output port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

a processor that adapts the link layer address of the first input/output port to correspond to a link layer address of the second network node.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the link layer address of said first input/output port is an Ethernet MAC address.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor queries the second network node to obtain the link layer address of the second network node.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor queries the second network node to obtain the link layer address of the second network node using Ethernet address resolution protocol.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the link layer address of the second network node is stored in a memory of said processor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor adapts the link layer address of the second input/output port to correspond to a link layer address of the first network node.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the link layer address of said second input/output port is an Ethernet MAC address.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said processor queries the first network node to obtain the link layer address of the first network node.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said processor queries the first network node to obtain the link layer address of the first network node using Ethernet address resolution protocol.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the link layer address of the first network node is stored in a memory of said processor.

11. An apparatus for adapting a link layer address of a network device, said apparatus comprising:

a first port connected to receive data from a first network node, said first port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

a second port connected to output the data to a second network node, said second port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

a processor that adapts the link layer address of the first port to correspond to a link layer address of the second network node and adapts the link layer address of the second port to correspond to a link layer address of the first network node.

12. An apparatus for adapting a link layer address of a network node, said apparatus comprising:

a bus for carrying data;

a first interface card connected to receive the data from a first network node and output the data to said bus, said first interface card having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

a second interface card connected to receive the data from said bus and output the data to a second network node, said second interface card having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

a processor connected to the first and second interface cards, wherein said processor adapts the link layer address of the first interface card to correspond to a link layer address of the second network node.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the link layer address of said first interface card is an Ethernet MAC address.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said processor queries the second network node to obtain the link layer address of the second network node.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said processor queries the second network node to obtain the link layer address of the second network node using Ethernet address resolution protocol.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the link layer address of the second network node is stored in a memory of said processor.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said processor adapts the link layer address of the second interface card to correspond to a link layer address of the first network node.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the link layer address of said second interface card is an Ethernet MAC address.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said processor queries the first network node to obtain the link layer address of the first network node.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said processor queries the first network node to obtain the link layer address of the first network node using Ethernet address resolution protocol.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said processor is programmed with the link layer address of the first network node.

22. An apparatus for adapting a link layer address of a network node, said apparatus comprising:

a bus for carrying data;

a first interface card connected to receive the data from a first network node and output the data to said bus, said first interface card having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

a second interface card connected to receive the data from said bus and output the data to a second network node, said second interface card having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

a processor connected to the first and second interface cards, wherein said processor adapts the link layer address of the first interface card to correspond to a link layer address of the second network node and said processor adapts the link layer address of the second interface card to correspond to a link layer address of the first network node.

23. A device for preventing unauthorized network monitoring and intrusion, said device comprising:

a first port connected to receive data from a first network node, said first port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

a second port connected to output the data to a second network node, said second port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

a processor that adapts the link layer address of the first port to correspond to a link layer address of the second network node.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein said processor adapts the link layer address of the second port to correspond to a link layer address of the first network node.

25. A device for monitoring network data traffic while preventing detection of said device, said device comprising:

a first port connected to receive data from a first network node, said first port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

a second port connected to output the data to a second network node, said second port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

a processor for adapting the link layer address of the first port to correspond to a link layer address of the second network node.

26. A device of claim 25, wherein said processor adapts the link layer address of the second port to correspond to a link layer address of the first network node.

27. An apparatus for adapting a link layer address of a network device, said apparatus comprising:

first means for receiving data from a first network node, said first means having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

second means for outputting the data to a second network node, said second means having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

processing means for adapting the link layer address of the first means to correspond to a link layer address of the second network node and adapting the link layer address of the second means to correspond to a link layer address of the first network node.

28. An apparatus for adapting a link layer address of a network node, said apparatus comprising:

means for carrying data;

first interface means for receiving the data from a first network node and outputting the data to said means for carrying, said first interface means having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

second interface means for receiving the data from said means for carrying and outputting the data to a second network node, said second interface means having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

means connected to the first interface means and the second interface means for adapting the link layer address of the first interface means to correspond to a link layer address of the second network node and adapting the link layer address of the second interface means to correspond to a link layer address of the first network node.

29. A method for adapting a link layer address of a network device, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving data at a first port from a first network node, the first port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

outputting data from a second port to a second network node, the second port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

adapting the link layer address of the first port to correspond to a link layer address of the second network node.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the link layer address of the first port is an Ethernet MAC address.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein in said adapting step, the second network node is queried to obtain the link layer address of the second network node.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein in said adapting step, the second network node is queried to obtain the link layer address of the second network node using Ethernet address resolution protocol.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein in said adapting step, the link layer address of the second network node is retrieved from a memory.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of adapting the link layer address of the second port to correspond to a link layer address of the first network node.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the link layer address of the second port is an Ethernet MAC address.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein in said adapting step, the first network node is queried to obtain the link layer address of the first network node.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein in said adapting step, the first network node is queried to obtain the link layer address of the first network node using Ethernet address resolution protocol.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein in said adapting step, the link layer address of the first network node is retrieved from a memory.

39. An method for adapting a link layer address of a network device, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving data at a first port from a first network node, the first port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

outputting data from a second port to a second network node, the second port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

adapting the link layer address of the first port to correspond to a link layer address of the second network node and adapting the link layer address of the second port to correspond to a link layer address of the first network node.

40. Computer code executable by a device having a link layer address, said code comprising:

code for receiving data at a first port from a first network node, the first port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

code for outputting data from a second port to a second network node, the second port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

code for adapting the link layer address of the first port to correspond to a link layer address of the second network node.

41. The computer code of claim 40, wherein the link layer address of the first port is an Ethernet MAC address.

42. The computer code of claim 40, further comprising code for querying the second network node to obtain the link layer address of the second network node.

43. The computer code of claim 40, further comprising code for querying the second network node to obtain the link layer address of the second network node using Ethernet address resolution protocol.

44. The computer code of claim 40, further comprising code for retrieving the link layer address of the second network node from a memory.

45. The computer code of claim 40, further comprising code for adapting the link layer address of the second port to correspond to a link layer address of the first network node.

46. The computer code of claim 45, wherein the link layer address of the second port is an Ethernet MAC address.

47. The computer code of claim 45, further comprising code for querying the first network node to obtain the link layer address of the first network node.

48. The computer code of claim 45, further comprising code for querying the first network node to obtain the link layer address of the first network node using Ethernet address resolution protocol.

49. The computer code of claim 45, further comprising code for retrieving the link layer address of the first network node from a memory.

50. Computer code executable by a device having a link layer address, said code comprising:

code for receiving data at a first port from a first network node, the first port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

code for outputting data from a second port to a second network node, the second port having a link layer address and being configurable to one of a plurality of link layer addresses;

code for adapting the link layer address of the first port to correspond to a link layer address of the second network node and adapting the link layer address of the second port to correspond to a link layer address of the first network node.