Patent ID: 7483396

Claim:
A method for assigning an Internet Protocol (IP) address to a client device connected to a data communications switch on a network, comprising: connecting a given client device to a port on the switch for data communication between the given client device and the switch; the switch sensing the connection of the given client device to the port, and the switch then automatically transmitting an identification code of the port (port ID) to the given client device; the given client device receiving the port ID from the switch, and the given client device then automatically transmitting the received port ID in a request to an address server via the switch without filtering of the request in the switch; the address server receiving the port ID from the given client device, and the address server then automatically assigning an unambiguous IP address to the given client device, wherein the assigning is initiated by the given client device transmitting the request to the address server, and wherein the port ID is used by the address server as a basis for assigning the IP address.