Patent ID: 6859843

Claim:
A method for configuring a network device for intercommunication with a network, the network device being communicatively coupled with the network and having a first network configuration enabling the network device to communicate with the network, said method comprising: recording information corresponding to the first network configuration of the network device; automatically monitoring a current network configuration of the network device; and determining whether the network device is able to communicate with the network such that, if the network device is not able to communicate with the network: automatically comparing the current network configuration with the information corresponding to the first network configuration; automatically determining whether the current network configuration corresponds to the first network configuration; and if the current network configuration does not correspond to the first network configuration, automatically reconfiguring the network device such that the current network configuration of the network device corresponds to the first network configuration, thereby enabling the network device to communicate with the network; wherein, if the network device is able to communicate with the network: determining whether the current network configuration of the network device corresponds to the first network configuration; and if the current network configuration of the network device does not correspond to the first network configuration, recording the current network configuration as a second network configuration such that, if it is later determined that the network device is not able to communicate with the network, the network device may be reconfigured with the second network configuration.