Method and apparatus for automatic network configuration
First Claim
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1. A method of automatically initializing a first device on a network comprising:
- requesting, by the first device, configuration information from a second device upon connecting the first device to the network;
delaying a period of time before continuing with said initialization;
providing, by the first device, configuration services to said network upon determination that a response to said configuration information request is not received from said second device within said period of time;
providing said configuration services to said network in response to said first device having a higher priority than said second device; and
continuously monitoring said network to detect a connection of an additional device to said network.
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Abstract
A dynamically configurable network architecture comprising networked office appliances which provide network addressing, network naming, service discovery, and user identification in one system. The network architecture provides automatic configuration services for unadministered networks while being automatically adaptable within administered environments.
87 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of automatically initializing a first device on a network comprising:
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requesting, by the first device, configuration information from a second device upon connecting the first device to the network; delaying a period of time before continuing with said initialization; providing, by the first device, configuration services to said network upon determination that a response to said configuration information request is not received from said second device within said period of time; providing said configuration services to said network in response to said first device having a higher priority than said second device; and continuously monitoring said network to detect a connection of an additional device to said network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A network comprising:
a first device coupled to said network, said first device configured to; automatically request a first network address; automatically receive said first network address from a second device coupled to said network; automatically provide a network configuration upon determination that said first network address is not received from said second device; automatically determine a first priority level of said first device on said network if said first network address is received from said second device; and automatically provide said network configuration in response to said first priority level being higher than a second priority level of said second device. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
Specification