Patent ID: 8085788

Claim:
A management device for managing a communication device having an IPv4 communication function that uses an IPv4 protocol and an IPv6 communication function that uses an IPv6 protocol, the communication device being connected to a network including a first device using the IPv4 protocol and a second device using the IPv6 protocol, the management device comprising: one or more processors; an inputting system configured to receive, from a user, a user input to change an operation regarding communication of the communication device by switching the IPv4 communication function or the IPv6 communication function from ON to OFF while the communication device is in a dual mode in which both IPv4 and IPv6 communication functions are ON; and one or more memories, storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform the following: judge, before changing the operation requested by the user input, whether a protocol incompatibility would arise in communications involving the communication device if the operation regarding communication of the communication device is changed by switching the IPv4 communication function or the IPv6 communication function from ON to OFF, and cancel the input inputted by the user if it is judged that the protocol incompatibility would arise; and switch the IPv4 communication function or the IPv6 communication function from ON to OFF when the processor judges that the incompatibility would not arise, and not to switch the IPv4 communication function or the IPv6 communication function from ON to OFF when the processor judges that the incompatibility would arise.