Patent ID: 8402120

Claim:
A communications method, comprising: locating and identifying an IP address configurable, Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) network device within an Ethernet communications network that has been misconfigured in its IP address by propagating over the Ethernet communications network to which the network device is connected a LLDP frame having an organizationally specific Type Length Value (TLV) and Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI) and data defining a query as a command to request data of physical network connectivity and determining the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the network device; connecting a remote console terminal and logging into the network device over the Ethernet communications network and communicating through the Ethernet communications network to the network device after discovering and identifying the network device; communicating with the network device from the remote console terminal using Ethernet packets; and configuring correctly the IP address of the network device.