Patent ID: 7457255

Claim:
A method for providing link-local addressing across multiple interfaces of a source network-node, comprising: broadcasting an address-resolution request packet on interfaces Z 1 and Z 2 of the source network-node, wherein the source network-node currently associates the link-local protocol-layer address Y with interface Z 1 , and wherein the address-resolution request packet requests an hardware address which is associated with link-local protocol-layer address Y; receiving an address-resolution reply packet at the source network-node on interface Z 2 , thereby causing a contention between interfaces Z 1 and Z 2 ; determining a winner between interfaces Z 1 and Z 2 ; and in response to determining that Z 2 is the winner, associating link-local protocol-layer address Y with interface Z 2 , and sending a contention-resolution packet on interface Z 1 , thereby causing a target network-node whose link-local protocol-layer address is Y to choose a link-local protocol-layer address which is different from Y.