Patent ID: 7640287

Claim:
A layer three device for connection to a computer network having a server that assigns Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, the layer three device having a plurality of interfaces each representing a logical connection to the computer network, the layer three device comprising: a message transmitter connected to the computer network; and a message receiver connected to the computer network, wherein the message transmitter is configured and arranged to formulate and broadcast a discover message from an interface of the layer three device that provides connectivity via the network to the server, the discover message indicating that the layer three device is requesting assignment of one or more IP addresses for an interface lacking connectivity to the server, the message receiver is configured and arranged to receive and examine an offer sent by the server, that includes at least one or more proffered IP addresses for assignment to the interface lacking connectivity to the server, the message transmitter is configured and arranged to formulate and send to the server a request message, in response to the offer, indicating that the layer three device has accepted the proffered one or more IP addresses for the respective interface, and the message receiver is configured and arranged to receive and examine an acknowledgment from the server that confirms the server's receipt of the request message.