Method and apparatus for determining proper telephony adaptor configuration and installation

• US 8,705,380 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peto, David J., Chiu, Vincent, Huang, Andy
• Primary Examiner(s): Phung, Luat
• Application Number:
  US11/284,104
• Time in Patent Office: 3,074 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• 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 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for ensuring an Internet Protocol (IP) service supported telephony adaptor (TA) is correctly installed and connected into the network for VoIP service usage are disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention identifies the TA as one that is supported by the VoIP service, and identifies the correct network configuration topography, e.g., the location of the TA in the user'"'"'s network.

Claims

1. A method for determining an installation of a telephony adaptor for communicating with a communication network, comprising:

identifying, via a processor of a personal computer connected to a local area network, the telephony adaptor within the local area network, wherein the identifying comprises;

sending an address resolution protocol request for the telephony adaptor, wherein the sending comprises the personal computer sending the address resolution protocol request to a local area network internet protocol address predefined by a provider of the communication network for the telephony adaptor, wherein the local area network internet protocol address predefined by the provider of the communication network is a configurable parameter that is specified by the provider and set by a manufacturer of the telephony adaptor;

receiving a node address of the telephony adaptor; and

comparing the node address to a pre-defined list of node addresses that are supported; and

determining, via the processor of the personal computer connected to the local area network, the telephony adaptor is installed in accordance with an approved configuration topography for telephony adaptors that is predefined within the local area network, wherein the approved configuration topography specifies where the telephony adaptor is located in the local area network and how the telephony adaptor is connected to another device via a port of the another device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the node address is a media access control address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the approved configuration topography is determined if:

the personal computer is connected to a network address translation device and the node address is within an approved node address block associated with the telephony adaptor, then the telephony adaptor is configured properly in accordance with one of a plurality of approved configuration topographies.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the approved configuration topography of the plurality of approved configuration topographies comprises:

the telephony adaptor is connected to a broadband modem directly or via the network address translation device using a wide area network port of the telephony adaptor and connected to the personal computer using a local area network port of the telephony adaptor.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the approved configuration topography of the plurality of approved configuration topographies comprises:

the telephony adaptor is connected to a broadband modem directly using a wide area network port of the telephony adaptor and connected to the network address translation device running a dynamic host control protocol using a local area network port of the telephony adaptor.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the approved configuration topography of the plurality of approved configuration topographies comprises:

the telephony adaptor is connected to a broadband modem via the network address translation device running a dynamic host control protocol using a wide area network port of the telephony adaptor to a local area network port of the network address translation device.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the node address is a media access control address.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal computer is determined to be connected to a network address translation device if the personal computer uses a private local area network internet protocol address.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor of a personal computer connected to a local area network, cause the processor to perform operations for determining an installation of a telephony adaptor for communicating with a communication network, the operations comprising:

identifying the telephony adaptor within the local area network, wherein the identifying comprises;

sending an address resolution protocol request for the telephony adaptor, wherein the sending comprises the personal computer sending the address resolution protocol request to a local area network internet protocol address predefined by a provider of the communication network for the telephony adaptor, wherein the local area network internet protocol address predefined by the provider of the communication network is a configurable parameter that is specified by the provider and set by a manufacturer of the telephony adaptor;

receiving a node address of the telephony adaptor and;

comparing the node address to a pre-defined list of node addresses that are supported; and

determining the telephony adaptor is installed in accordance with an approved configuration topography for telephony adaptors that is predefined within the local area network, wherein the approved configuration topography specifies where the telephony adaptor is located in the local area network and how the telephony adaptor is connected to another device via a port of the another device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the approved configuration topography is determined if:

the personal computer is connected to a network address translation device and the node address is within an approved node address block associated with the telephony adaptor, then the telephony adaptor is configured properly in accordance with one of a plurality of approved configuration topographies.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12,

wherein a first approved configuration topography of the plurality of approved configuration topographies comprises the telephony adaptor being connected to a broadband modem directly or via the network address translation device using a wide area network port of the telephony adaptor and connected to the personal computer using a local area network port of the supported telephony adaptor;

wherein a second approved configuration topography of the plurality of approved configuration topographies comprises the telephony adaptor is connected to a broadband modem directly using the wide area network port of the supported telephony adaptor and connected to the network address translation device running a dynamic host control protocol using the local area network port of the telephony adaptor; and

wherein a third approved configuration topography of the plurality of approved configuration topographies comprises the telephony adaptor is connected to a broadband modem via the network address translation device running a dynamic host control protocol using the wide area network port of the supported telephony adaptor to the local area network port of the network address translation device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the personal computer is determined to be connected to a network address translation device if the personal computer uses a private local area network internet protocol address.

15. An apparatus for determining an installation of a telephony adaptor for communicating with a communication network, comprising:

a processor of a personal computer connected to a local area network; and

a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

identifying the telephony adaptor within the local area network, wherein the identifying comprises;

sending an address resolution protocol request for the telephony adaptor, wherein the sending comprises the personal computer sending the address resolution protocol request to a local the communication network for the telephony adaptor, wherein the local area network internet protocol address predefined by the provider of the communication network is a configurable parameter that is specified by the provider and set by a manufacturer of the telephony adaptor;

receiving a node address of the telephony adaptor; and

comparing the node address to a pre-defined list of node addresses that are supported; and

determining the telephony adaptor is installed in accordance with an approved configuration topography for telephony adaptors that is predefined within the local area network, wherein the approved configuration topography specifies where the telephony adaptor is located in the local area network and how the telephony adaptor is connected to another device via a port of the another device.