Method and device for identifying and selecting an interface to access a network

• US 8,751,617 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Claes, Stan, Van De Poel, Dirk, Vincent, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): SMARTH, GERALD A
• Application Number:
  US12/310,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,500 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/677 Multiple interfaces, e.g. multihomed nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

The present invention concerns a networking device comprising interfacing means for accessing a first network or a second network, and comprising identifying means for detecting an access to the first network, and selecting means for picking an access among a plurality of accesses to the first network for accessing a third network.

Claims

1. A networking device comprising a plurality of identical interfaces being adapted to connect to either of a Wide Area Network, WAN, or a Local Area Network, LAN, the WAN providing access to a broadband network, all of the identical interfaces being preliminarily preconfigured to be WAN interfaces for accessing said WAN, comprising:

changing means for, upon receipt of a discover message from a LAN device connected on a preconfigured WAN interface, dynamically modifying said preconfigured WAN interface to become a LAN interface,

identifying means for requesting an access to the broadband network through all of said plurality of identical interfaces simultaneously by broadcasting a discover message, and for identifying an interface that receives a response to the discover message as a WAN interface for accessing said WAN, and

selecting means for, if more than one WAN interface for connecting to the WAN has been identified, selecting based on a selection rule one WAN interface for accessing said broadband network, wherein said selection rule is configured to be amended by a remote configuration for selecting a first interface for accessing said broadband network as a third network.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said selecting means is adapted to set up the selection rule for selecting a WAN interface for accessing the broadband network, and is adapted to apply the selection rule to said detected WAN interfaces.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the identifying means is adapted to identify an interface to a LAN, said interfaces connected to the LAN being LAN interfaces, and is adapted to request an access to the broadband network through all said all interfaces but the LAN interfaces.

4. The device according to claim 3, comprising means for identifying the reception of a traffic specific to said LAN.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising at least an interface adapted to simultaneously access said WAN and said LAN.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the identifying means is adapted to identify a second device connected to an interface, said second device being adapted to connect to the LAN.

7. A method for accessing a broadband network through a Wide Area Network, WAN, in a device comprising a plurality of identical interfaces adapted to connect to either of the WAN or a Local Area Network, LAN, said interface connected to said WAN being a WAN interface, comprising at the device:

preconfiguring all of the identical interfaces preliminarily as WAN interfaces for accessing said WAN,

upon receipt of a discover message from a LAN device connected on a preconfigured WAN interface, dynamically changing said preconfigured WAN interface to become a LAN interface,

simultaneously broadcasting a discover message for requesting access to the broadband network to all said interfaces of the plurality of identical interfaces,

receiving an answer to the discover message from one or more interfaces, identified as WAN interfaces for accessing said WAN, and

selecting, based on a selection rule, an interface, among said WAN interfaces, to access said broadband network, wherein said selection rule is configured to be amended by a remote configuration for selecting a first interface for accessing said broadband network as a third network.

8. A gateway device comprising a plurality of identical interfaces being adapted to connect to either of a Local Area Network, LAN, or a Wide Area Network, WAN, the WAN providing access to a broadband network, all of the identical interfaces being preliminarily preconfigured to be WAN interfaces for accessing said WAN, comprising:

changing means for, upon receipt of a discover message from a LAN device connected on a preconfigured WAN interface, dynamically modifying said preconfigured WAN interface to become a LAN interface,

identifying means for requesting an access to the broadband network through all of said interfaces of the plurality of interfaces simultaneously by broadcasting a discover message, and for identifying an interface that receives a response to the discover message as a WAN interface for accessing said WAN, and

selecting means for, if more than one WAN interface for connecting to the WAN has been identified, selecting, based on a selection rule, one WAN interface for accessing the broadband network, wherein said selection rule is configured to be amended by a remote configuration for selecting a first interface for accessing said broadband network as a third network.

9. The gateway device according to claim 8, said identifying means being adapted to classify an interface that does not receive a response to the request as a LAN interface.