Patent ID: 6891830

Claim:
A method for automatically sensing a transmission method in a network, the method comprising: transmitting at least one packet to a first host via a first transmission method; receiving from the first host a response packet to the packet transmitted via the first transmission method; determining whether the first transmission method must be used; if the first transmission method must be used, configuring for communications with the first host using the first transmission method using an address from the response packet in accordance with the first transmission method; if the first transmission method must not be used, transmitting at least one packet to the first host via a second transmission method; determining whether a response packet to the packet was received from the first host using the second transmission method; if a response from the first host using the second transmission method was received, configuring for communication with the first host using the second transmission method using an address from the response packet in accordance with the second transmission method; and if a response packet from the first host using the second transmission method was not received, configuring for communications with the first host using the second transmission method using an address from the response packet in accordance with the first transmission method.