A computer-executable method for forwarding packets with hierarchically structured variable-length identifiers, HSVLIs, over a local area network, the method comprising: receiving a registration message from a content server, wherein the registration message includes a packet containing an HSVLI, and wherein a destination media access control, MAC, of the registration message is a group MAC address; creating an entry in a forwarding information base corresponding to the HSVLI, wherein the entry indicates a MAC address of the content server and a port on which the registration message is received; maintaining the forwarding information base, wherein a respective entry in the forwarding information base indicates an egress port and a destination MAC address of a device reachable via the egress port; receiving an interest packet from a client which includes the HSVLI, wherein the packet has the group MAC address as its destination MAC address and the client's MAC address as its source MAC address; wherein the interest packet contains: a first value which is a hash derived based on the entire HSVLI and optionally additional information in the packet; and a second value which is a hash derived on the subset of the HSVLI components; searching for the second value in the forwarding information base and replacing the second value in the interest packet with a new hash derived on a more specific subset of the HSVLI components if a longer matching prefix exists in the forwarding information base; forwarding the interest packet to the content server from an egress port in the forwarding information base corresponding to the new hash, wherein the forwarded interest packet has the content server's MAC address as its destination MAC address and a local switch's MAC address as its source MAC address. receiving a registration message from a content server, wherein the registration message includes a packet containing an HSVLI, and wherein a destination media access control, MAC, of the registration message is a group MAC address; creating an entry in a forwarding information base corresponding to the HSVLI, wherein the entry indicates a MAC address of the content server and a port on which the registration message is received; maintaining the forwarding information base, wherein a respective entry in the forwarding information base indicates an egress port and a destination MAC address of a device reachable via the egress port; receiving an interest packet from a client which includes the HSVLI, wherein the packet has the group MAC address as its destination MAC address and the client's MAC address as its source MAC address; wherein the interest packet contains: a first value which is a hash derived based on the entire HSVLI and optionally additional information in the packet; and a second value which is a hash derived on the subset of the HSVLI components; searching for the second value in the forwarding information base and replacing the second value in the interest packet with a new hash derived on a more specific subset of the HSVLI components if a longer matching prefix exists in the forwarding information base; forwarding the interest packet to the content server from an egress port in the forwarding information base corresponding to the new hash, wherein the forwarded interest packet has the content server's MAC address as its destination MAC address and a local switch's MAC address as its source MAC address. a first value which is a hash derived based on the entire HSVLI and optionally additional information in the packet; and a second value which is a hash derived on the subset of the HSVLI components; searching for the second value in the forwarding information base and replacing the second value in the interest packet with a new hash derived on a more specific subset of the HSVLI components if a longer matching prefix exists in the forwarding information base; forwarding the interest packet to the content server from an egress port in the forwarding information base corresponding to the new hash, wherein the forwarded interest packet has the content server's MAC address as its destination MAC address and a local switch's MAC address as its source MAC address.