Patent ID: 7933231

Claim:
A method for configuring a set of devices coupled to a computer, the method comprising; broadcasting at least a first set of packets from said computer to said set of devices, each of said first set of packets including at least a first identifier, said first identifier being associated with said computer, said first set of packets complying with a Data Link Layer protocol according to the Open System Interconnection Model; receiving a set of device identifiers at said computer, each of said set of device identifiers being associated with a device of said set of devices, said set of device identifiers being contained in a set of response packets, said set of response packets being created by said set of devices in response to said first set of packets, said set of response packets being transmitted using said first identifier, said set of response packets complying with said Data Link Layer protocol; sending, using a broadcast channel, a set of Data Link Transport Protocol (DLTP) packets to a first plurality of devices to advise said first plurality of devices to switch from at least a used channel to a first channel, said set of DLTP packets including at least a first DLTP packet, said first DLTP packet including at least a reservation field, a value of said reservation field specifying a number of DLTP packets in a burst, said burst including said set of DLTP packets; receiving acknowledgement from said plurality of devices about switching to said first channel; and sending, using said first channel, a first set of configuration packets from said computer to said first plurality of devices for simultaneously configuring said first plurality of devices, said first plurality of devices being at least a first subset of said set of devices, said first plurality of devices being assigned to said first channel, said first set of configuration packets identifying said first channel, said first set of configuration packets complying with said Data Link Layer protocol.