Patent ID: 7844818

Claim:
An authentication method in a home network having at least one communicatable device and a home server which controls the at least one communicatable device, in which the home server authenticates the at least one communicatable device forming the home network, the authentication method comprising: generating, by the home server, an authentication key from a stored unique information of the at least one communicatable device; generating an authentication key message including an identifier and a group identifier of the at least one communicatable device, and random information on the generated authentication key; sending the generated authentication key message together with the unique information to the at least one communicatable device; comparing an authentication value with a value received from the at least one communicatable device; and completing the authentication for the device when the authentication value is the same with the value received from the at least one communicatable device, wherein the generating an authentication key generates the authentication key by performing an exclusive OR operation on an authentication value and the stored unique information, and wherein the authentication value is generated using a hash algorithm, and wherein the unique information includes serial number information set by a device manufacturer and an internet protocol (IP) address.