Patent ID: 8351440
Filing Date: 2013-01-08
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A relay device for connecting hardware communication devices to a network, the relay device comprising: a housing for enclosing the relay device; a plurality of communication ports connected to the communication devices respectively, the plurality of communication ports communicatively coupled to the relay device; and an identification information table in which network identification information identifying each communication device on the network is associated with physical identification information physically identifying the communication device; a processor configured to execute an operation including: associating a priority representing a communication priority of each communication device with the physical identification information of the communication device; determining whether or not network identification information of a transmission source and physical identification information of the transmission source included in a data packet received at each communication port exist in the identification information table; registering physical identification information identifying a communication device to be prioritized; adding the network identification information of the transmission source and the physical identification information of the transmission source to the identification information table in accordance with the registered physical identification information, when a first determining section determines that no network identification information of the transmission source exists in the identification information table in accordance with the physical identification information registered; and attaching a priority corresponding to the physical identification information of the transmission source to the identification information table, and wherein the hardware communication devices are arranged outside the housing, the network identification information is an IP address, and the physical identification information is a MAC address.