Patent ID: 6865673

Claim:
A method of installing a network device in a packet-based data communication network and checking the authenticity of the installation, said method comprising: (a) communicating identification information of the device to a management system; (b) installing said device; (c) obtaining from a protocol address administrator a protocol address for said device; (d) conducting a key agreement protocol exchange between said device and said management system to establish a set of encryption keys; (e) using said set of encryption keys to provide mutual authentication by said device and said management system; (f) associating within said management system, the time of said exchange in step (d) with said identification information and the protocol address of the device; (g) communicating from said management system to said administrator a message including said identification information, said protocol address and said time; wherein, after said step (f) said management system produces further encryption keys for subsequent communications between said management system and said device; and wherein said management system sends to said device a reset key enabling reiteration of a key agreement protocol exchange corresponding to step (d).