Patent ID: 7697531

Claim:
A method for routing packets in a network, comprising: receiving a packet from a first communication device in the network requesting an IP address; determining if another communication device owns the requested IP address, wherein if the another communication device does not own the requested IP address, giving the IP address to the first communication device, otherwise, if it is determined that a second communication device is claiming ownership of the IP address, determining whether the first communication device or the second communication device owns the IP address using at least one of an address request authority percentage protocol (ARAPP) function and a timestamp, wherein the ARAPP function comprises calculating an ARAPP percentage for the first and second communication devices, the ARAPP percentage being a measured level of trust, and comparing at least one of the ARAPP percentages and timestamps between the first and second communication devices, wherein if the ARAPP percentage for the first communication device is greater than the ARAPP percentage for the second communication device, and the timestamp of the first communication device is higher than the timestamp of the second communication device, the IP address is given to the first communication device, wherein the ARAPP percentage is calculated from an initial value that is automatically degraded or improved based on previous actions of a switchport with regard to one of the first and second communication devices, wherein the previous actions that cause the ARAPP percentage to be automatically degraded are at least one of requesting a number of IP address above a total number of expected IP addresses, responding to an IP request of another computer after reaching the total number of expected IP addresses, sending an IP request with an accompanying MAC address after reaching the total number of expected MAC addresses, and responding to an IP request with a new accompanying MAC address after reaching the total number of expected MAC addresses, wherein the previous actions that cause the ARAPP percentage to be automatically improved are at least one of maintaining a specific period of time in which the switchport did not exceed an expected number of IP addresses, maintaining a specific period of time in which the switchport did not exceed an expected number of MAC addresses, maintaining a specific period of time in which the switchport did not request another IP after exceeding the expected number of IP addresses, and maintaining a specific period of time in which the switchport did not claim to have another MAC after exceeding the expected number of MAC addresses.