Patent ID: 8042152

Claim:
A home network system comprising a server apparatus and one or more client apparatuses, which are capable of communicating therebetween through a transmission channel, each of the server apparatus and the one or more client apparatuses including a control unit having an authentication ID control unit equipped with an authentication ID storage unit for storing an authentication ID given from an authentication ID giving unit, the home network system being configured so that a connection between the server apparatus and the one or more client apparatuses is established by the authentication ID control unit when the given authentication IDs of the server apparatus and the one or more client apparatuses match with each other, wherein the control unit of the server apparatus originally stores connection information and security information, wherein the authentication ID giving unit includes a remote control unit capable of communicating with the server apparatus and the one or more client apparatuses by using an infrared ray, and giving an identical authentication ID to the server apparatus and/or the one or more client apparatuses on the basis of a predetermined input operation, wherein, when the authentication ID is given by the authentication ID giving unit, the server apparatus stores the given authentication ID in the authentication ID storage unit of the server apparatus, and the control unit of the server apparatus searches for the one or more client apparatuses having the authentication ID identical to the authentication ID stored in the server apparatus and, when the one or more client apparatuses having the identical authentication ID are found, automatically transmits the connection information and the security information from the control unit of the server apparatus to the one or more client apparatuses having the identical authentication ID, wherein, when the authentication ID is given by the authentication ID giving unit, the one or more client apparatuses store the given authentication ID in the authentication ID storage unit of each of the one or more client apparatuses, search for the server apparatus having the authentication ID identical to the authentication ID stored in the one or more client apparatuses, and request and receive the connection information and the security information from the server apparatus having the identical authentication ID to set up the connection information and the security information therein, and wherein the authentication IDs stored in the respective authentication ID storage units are not deleted unless a specific operation is made.