Patent ID: 7360086
Filing Date: 2008-04-15
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A network relaying method for a communication network system in which a plurality of network devices are coupled via a communication path, each network device including a network relaying device which is coupled via a plurality of I/O ports to a corresponding plurality of terminals, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a packet at a first I/O port from a source terminal coupled to the first I/O port, the packet including a header containing a packet transmission source address; determining whether a first combination of information contained in the received packet coincides with a second combination of information that has been registered in advance, wherein said first combination of information includes the first I/O port and the packet transmission source address of the received packet and said second combination of information includes an I/O port and a transmission source address that have been registered in advance with a correspondence therebetween, and, in response to the determining step resulting in a determination that the first combination of information coincides with the second combination of information, transferring the packet received at the first I/O port via a second I/O port, wherein it is determined that said first combination of information coincides with said second combination of information that has been registered in advance when only said first I/O port and said packet transmission source address coincide with said I/O port and transmission source address that have been registered in advance with a correspondence therebetween; in response to the determining step resulting in a determination that the first combination of information does not coincide with the second combination of information: limiting transfer of the received packet and transmitting a request for user authentication of a user to the source terminal of said received packet; receiving user authentication information sent from the source terminal in response to the request for user authentication; executing user authentication of the user based on the user authentication information thus received and based on the packet transmission source address; when the user is authenticated by the user authentication executed in the executing step, registering the first I/O port with a correspondence to the packet transmission source address; transferring the packet received at the first I/O port via the second I/O port; and when the user is not authenticated by the user authentication executed in the executing step, not transferring the packet received at the first I/O port.