Patent ID: 8291489

Claim:
An apparatus for registering auto-configured network addresses, comprising: a network interface that is configured to be coupled to a data network for receiving therefrom, and sending thereto, one or more packet flows; a physical connection that is configured to be coupled to a host; one or more processors; one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform: receiving, from the host, a first message requesting to authenticate the physical connection between the host and a physical port through which the host wants to communicate with the data network, the first message containing a user identification information; authenticating and authorizing the user using the user identification information; in response to successful authenticating and authorizing of the user: generating authentication and authorization information for the host, enabling the physical port, generating first data indicating a particular user class to which the user belongs; using the first data and at least some authentication and authorization information associated with the host, registering an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the host by storing an auto-configured IP address for the host in association with the at least some of the authentication and authorization information for the host.