Patent ID: 6178451
Filing Date: 2001-01-23
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for operating one of a plurality of computers connected to an Internet network to obtain in real time an estimate of the number of said computers connected to said Internet network, each of said computers including a memory and a processor and at least certain of said computers including a Domain Name Service software module that maintains a Domain Name Service database and each of said computers being registered in at least one of said Domain Name Service data-bases, said method comprising the steps of:randomly generating a plurality of computer addresses;accessing one of said Domain Name Service databases to determine the number of said plurality of computer addresses allocated to a computer connected to said Internet network and the number not so allocated; andin said one computer, statistically analyzing said number of addresses determined to be allocated to a computer connected to said Internet network and said number of said addresses not so allocated to determine the estimate of the number of computers connected to said Internet network.