Patent ID: 8468165

Claim:
A method for discovering one or more potentially-identifiable network devices, said method comprising the steps of: providing a data table having a plurality of device entries corresponding to the one or more potentially-identifiable network devices; initializing the data table by populating the plurality of device entries with one or more of known device data and generic device data; requesting a connected node list from at least a first of the one or more potentially-identifiable network devices, wherein the connected node list identifies at least one connected device node capable of communicating with said first potentially-identifiable network device; flagging as potentially found the device entry corresponding to the connected device node; requesting device data from the connected device node corresponding to the flagged device entry; determining whether or not a response to the device data request is received and whether the response to the device data request is complete or partial, wherein if the response to the device data request is partial, requesting and receiving additional device data from the connected device node; populating the flagged device entry with received device data and/or received additional device data if the response to device data request and/or additional device data request is received; and nullifying the flagged device entry if the response to the device data request is not received.