Patent ID: 7570647
Filing Date: 2009-08-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A LAN (Local Area Network) internet access network, comprising: switch means for accommodating a plurality of subscriber lines to which user terminals are connected and for exchanging data packets between the user terminals and the internet; means for transmitting a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) request from any of the user terminals for requesting the address assignment of an IP (Internet Protocol) address and an ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) request from that user terminal for requesting a MAC (Media Access Control) address corresponding to the IP address by broadcast, wherein said means for transmitting a DHCP request limits the DHCP request to a side of the network that excludes said subscriber lines, wherein said means for transmitting an ARP request limits the ARP request to said side of the network, wherein, when a user terminal transmits an IP packet to another user terminal, if a MAC address of the another user terminal is unknown, then an ARP request, which is transmitted from said user terminal to the switch means, is filtered by the switch means and reaches only to an IP address managing means, in which the IP address managing means searches a DHCP managing table for an entry having an identical IP address to an IP address requested by the ARP request and, wherein when the entry is found by said IP address managing means, the IP address managing means transmits a MAC address of a packet transfer means corresponding to the IP address requested by the ARP request to the user terminal, and the user terminal transmits the IP packet to the packet transfer means, such that the packet transfer means acquires a MAC address of the another user terminal that the user terminal needs to transmit IP packet to, and so that the IP packet can be received by the another user terminal.