Network repeater
First Claim
1. A repeater comprising:
- an input/output interface;
a packet registry storing packet characteristics of data packets received within a delay time, wherein the delay time represents a threshold amount of elapsed time;
logic configured toreceive data packets from the input/output interface;
select particular data packets from among data packets determined not to be copies of previously received data packets, wherein the copies of previously received data packets are received within a predetermined time measured from a time of receipt of the previously received data packet has elapsed;
repeat the particular data packets; and
refresh the packet registry, wherein refreshing the packet registry includes removing packet characteristics of data packets received outside the delay time.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A network repeater is configured to repeat data packets in a broadcast mode without generating a significant broadcast storm. The network repeater is configured to detect a characteristic of a received data packet. The data packet characteristic is compared with valid copies of packet characteristics previously stored in a packet registry. During a delay period, if a valid copy of the detected characteristic is found in the packet registry, then it is assumed that the packet is being received for the second time and the data packet is not repeated in the broadcast mode. If a valid copy of the detected characteristic of the data packet is not found in the packet registry, then the characteristic is stored in the packet registry and the data packet is repeated in a broadcast mode.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A repeater comprising:
-
an input/output interface; a packet registry storing packet characteristics of data packets received within a delay time, wherein the delay time represents a threshold amount of elapsed time; logic configured to receive data packets from the input/output interface; select particular data packets from among data packets determined not to be copies of previously received data packets, wherein the copies of previously received data packets are received within a predetermined time measured from a time of receipt of the previously received data packet has elapsed; repeat the particular data packets; and refresh the packet registry, wherein refreshing the packet registry includes removing packet characteristics of data packets received outside the delay time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A repeater comprising:
-
a packet registry configured to store a valid characteristic of a previously received data packet, at least until a predetermined delay expires; an input/output configured to receive a current data packet; logic configured to; detect a characteristic of the current data packet, drop the current data packet if the characteristic of the current data packet corresponds to the valid characteristic stored in the packet registry; and refresh the packet registry, wherein refreshing the packet registry includes removing packet characteristics of data packets after the packet characteristics become invalid due to expiration of the predetermined delay. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method comprising:
-
storing a first characteristic of a first data packet in a packet registry, the first data packet received at a first time from a first communication network; repeating the first data packet over a second communication network; receiving a second data packet from the first communication network within a delay time after the first data packet was received, the second packet having a second characteristic matching the first characteristic; dropping the second data packet in response to a search of the packet registry finding the second characteristic in the packet registry; receiving a third data packet from the first communication network within the delay time after the first data packet was received, the third data packet having a third characteristic different from the first characteristic; repeating the third data packet over the second communication network in response to a search of the packet registry indicating that the third characteristic is absent from the packet registry; and refreshing the packet registry to remove the first characteristic of the first data packet from the registry after the delay time. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification