Patent ID: 7245618
Filing Date: 2007-07-17
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A communication device comprising: a first part transmitting information to and receiving information from an adjacent device; a second part automatically determining addresses for mounting ports of the communication device and a first port of the adjacent device so that the addresses are not duplicated, the first port being connected to the communication device; a third part managing address information of all the mounting ports of the communication device, the first port of the adjacent device, and a network to be constructed; a fourth part managing address determination authority to determine the addresses, wherein one of the communication device and another device in the network to be constructed is selected as a parent communication device having address determination authority to determine the addresses in the network; a fifth part automatically selecting an unused address from the network including a port to which a terminal is connected, the port being one of the mounting ports of the communication device or a second port of the adjacent device; and a sixth part selecting one of the communication device and the adjacent device as a managing device performing centralized management of addresses of terminals on the network, wherein said fifth part sets a DHCP server function in the communication device if the sixth part selects the communication device as the managing device and the sixth part establishes tunnel connection to the adjacent device if the sixth part selects the adjacent device as the managing device.