Patent ID: 8305891

Claim:
Network device comprising: a first interface unit for coupling to a first network segment where service parameters are not controlled and no Quality of Service (QoS) information is available, wherein the first interface unit receives data packets via the first network segment, further wherein the received data packets comprise non-Quality of Service aware (non-QoS aware) data packets; a second interface unit for coupling to a second network segment, wherein the second network segment is QoS aware and operates according to a type of service; transfer means for transferring data packets between the first and second network segments; and determining means for determining a service requirement for a received data packet that is to be transferred, via the transfer means, from the first network segment to the second network segment, as if the type of service was present for the received data packet, for accommodating the service requirement in the second network segment as determined for the received data packet; wherein the determining means is arranged for detecting a source of the received data packet in the first network segment, and for assigning, to the received data packet that comprises the non-QoS aware data packet, the type of service in dependence of the source of the received data packet, wherein said assigning the type of service is based on analyzing a control portion of the received data packet according to a predefined criteria, the predefined criteria including a mapping of a content type of the received data packet to the source of the received data packet; and wherein said assigning is made without use of any Quality of Service information previously provided for the received data packet.