Patent ID: 7860099

Claim:
A method for setting and managing network devices, which is applied to a network management system comprising a management server with a management server IP address and a plurality of network devices connected to said management server, comprising the steps of: conducting a first searching for said network devices by said management server and specifying one of said network devices connected to the management server as a master network device by said management server, wherein said master network device with a master network device IP address and comprises a first network interface with a first physical address; and conducting a second search for said network devices by said master network device upon receiving a search instruction from said management server, which comprises the steps of: producing a broadcast packet by said master network device; sending said broadcast packet from said first interface of said master network device to said network devices connected to said first interface; setting said network devices that send reply packets to said master network device as candidate network devices; specifying one of said candidate network devices as a slave network device by said master network device, wherein said slave network device has a second physical address; receiving and reading a specify packet with said second physical address sent from the management server at said master network device; receiving a first management packet sent from the management server at said master network device; repacking the first management packet to a second management packet by said master network device, and sending the second management packet to the slave network device by said master network device; receiving a first notice packet sent from the slave network device at said master network device; and repacking the first notice packet to a second notice packet by said master network device, and sending the second notice packet to the management server by said master network device.