Patent ID: 8606940

Claim:
A method to resolve IP address conflicts in a network using address assignment protocol when a host on the network uses a conflicting static address comprising the steps of: assigning a first host on a VLAN an address assignment from an address assignment protocol server; sending from the switch an address resolution protocol request for the address assignment to all hosts on the VLAN after address assignment to the first host; receiving at the switch an address resolution protocol reply from a second host having the address assignment after both the first host and the second host have been assigned the same address assignment; and assuming the second host has a static address assignment; and intentionally blocking traffic coming from the second host on the VLAN by the switch for a specific and configurable amount of time based on the existence of a conflicting IP address between the first host and the second host while still permitting traffic coming from the first host to pass through the switch; and permitting only address-assignment protocol packets from the second host on the VLAN to allow immediate corrective action made on part of the second host.