Patent ID: 8812664
Filing Date: 2014-08-19
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of controlling an apparatus in a local area network (LAN), the apparatus having a first hardware interface and a second hardware interface to connect to the LAN, the method comprising: transmitting first monitoring request messages to one or more devices in a first virtual local area network (VLAN) via both the first and second hardware interfaces, and second monitoring request messages to one or more devices in a second VLAN via both the first and second hardware interfaces, wherein the first and second monitoring request messages use the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) or the Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP); receiving first monitoring response messages via the first and/or second hardware interfaces in response to the first monitoring request messages and second monitoring response messages via the first and/or second hardware interfaces in response to the second monitoring request messages; selecting between the first and second hardware interfaces for performing data communication, based on the first and second monitoring response messages, wherein the selecting between the first and second interfaces is performed independently for data communication via the first VLAN based on at least one characteristic of the first monitoring response messages and for data communication via the second VLAN based at least one characteristic of the second monitoring response messages, and wherein the first hardware interface is configured with a first Media Access Control (MAC) address, the second hardware interface is configured with a second, different MAC address, and the first and second hardware interfaces are collectively associated with a third MAC address different from both the first and second MAC addresses, and wherein the method further comprises: