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

• US 7,376,717 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bhogal, Kulvir Singh, Dinh, Hung T., Hu, Teng S., Sidhu, Mandeep S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean; Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US10/418,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/224, 709/227, 713/1, 370/254, 455/456, 455/414
• US Class Current: 709/220
• 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 are 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.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system that includes a network device that is coupled to a network, the method comprising:

connecting a new device to the network, to which the network device is already connected;

detecting, by the network device, the connection of the new device to the network;

sending, by the network device, a network identifier that is associated with the network to the new device in response to the network device detecting the connection;

identifying, by the new device, a set of configuration settings associated with the network identifier; and

using, by the new device, the set of configuration settings to configure the new device 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 new device, 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 device is a server, and wherein the network identifier is transmitted over the network by the 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 new device 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 computer program product, which is stored in a computer-readable medium, in a data processing system that includes a network device that is coupled to a network, said computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for detecting, by the network device, a connection of a new device to the network, to which the network device is already connected;

computer usable program code for sending, from the network device to the new device, a network identifier that is associated with the network in response to the network device detecting the connection;

computer usable program code for identifying, by the new device, a set of configuration settings associated with the network identifier; and

computer usable program code for using, by the new device, the set of configuration settings to configure the new device for operation on the network.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the set of configuration settings is identified from a plurality of sets of configuration settings stored by the new device, 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.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the network device is a server, and wherein the network identifier is transmitted over the network by the server.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the server is a router.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the server is a general-purpose data processing system.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the server transmits the network identifier in response to determining that the new device has connected to the network.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the network identifier is broadcast over the network.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the network identifier is broadcast over the network at regular intervals.

17. A data processing system that includes a network device that is coupled to a network, the data processing system comprising:

a new device being connected to a network;

the network device for detecting the connection of the new device to the network, to which the network device is already connected;

the network device for sending a network identifier, which is associated with the network, to the new device in response to the network device detecting the connection;

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

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

18. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the set of configuration settings is identified from a plurality of sets of configuration settings stored by the new device, 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.

19. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the network device is a server.

20. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the server is a router.

21. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the server is a general-purpose data processing system.

22. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the server transmits the network identifier in response to determining that the new device has connected to the network.

23. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the network identifier is broadcast over the network.

24. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the network identifier is broadcast over the network at regular intervals.