Patent ID: 7248563

Claim:
A method in a data processing system, said method comprising the steps of: providing a network communications device that includes multiple ports for providing access to a network; receiving a specification of one of said multiple ports; receiving a specification of a time period; and blocking access to said network through said one of said multiple ports during said time period, wherein blocking access to said network further comprises: receiving, within said network communications device, a first network packet; responsive to a determination that said one of said multiple ports through which said first network packet was received is said specified one of said multiple ports and that a current time is within said time period, discarding said network packet; storing a media access control address of a computer system that transmitted said first network packet and storing an identification of said one of said multiple ports through which said first network packet was received within said network communications device; receiving a second packet; identifying a second one of said multiple ports through which said second packet was received; determining whether said second one of said multiple ports is said specified one of said multiple ports; determining a time period associated with said second one of said multiple ports; determining whether a current time is within said determined time period; determining a media access control address of a computer system that transmitted said second packet; responsive to a determination that either said second one of said multiple ports is not said specified one of said multiple ports or that said current time is not within said determined time period, determining whether said media access control address of said computer system that transmitted said second packet is stored in said network communications device; and responsive to a determination that said media access control address of said computer system that transmitted said second packet is stored in said network communications device, discarding said second packet.