Patent ID: 8406227
Filing Date: 2013-03-26
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A hybrid wired and wireless communication apparatus capable of communicating with external sources via a wired network and a wireless network, the apparatus comprising: a network interface having a wired network interface portion and a wireless network interface portion, the wired network interface portion configured to receive and transmit packets through the wired network, the wireless network interface portion configured to receive and transmit packets through the wireless network, wherein the wired network interface portion is associated with a predefined MAC address for receiving incoming packets having the predefined MAC address, via the wired network, from external sources and the wireless network interface portion is associated with the same predefined MAC address as the wired network interface portion for receiving incoming packets having the predefined MAC address, via the wireless network, from external sources; a network driver configured to store a management list comprising a plurality of entries, each of the entries comprising a physical address of an external source transmitting a packet received by the network interface and an identifier information indicating whether the respective external source communicated via the wired network interface portion or the wireless network interface portion; a control module configured to process an incoming packet received from the external source via the wired network interface portion or the wireless network interface portion and generate an outgoing packet to be transmitted to the external source, the outgoing packet including a destination physical address, wherein, when the outgoing packet generated by the control module is to be transmitted via the network interface, the network driver determines whether the outgoing packet is to be transmitted via the wired network interface portion or the wireless network interface portion according to the identifier information, stored in the management list, indicating whether the respective external source communicated via the wired network interface portion or the wireless network interface portion, wherein the wired network interface portion and the wireless network interface portion are associated with the same predefined MAC address such that a first incoming packet received via the wired network interface portion and a second incoming packet received via the wireless network interface portion are received using the same predefined MAC address.