1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for accessing a device with an IP address being modified spontaneously, and more particularly to a network device that can modify its own network configuration, learning from a control end in use during accessing.
2. Description of Related Art
Network-related devices, such as a router, switch, or access point device, need to be configured through the command mode in a remote host via a communication port. Since the embedded operation system is used generally, almost all network devices or future information appliances can be configured and accessed through the built-in HTTP server program. The remote host can do the configuration or any other setting through a web browser via a RJ-45 or wireless connection.
In addition to the default IP address set on the network device, an automatic IP allocation software can be installed in the device. The software's purpose is to enable an individual host or device on an IP network to extract their configurations from a server, such as, for example, a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server or BOOTP (Bootstrap Protocol) server. When a computer PC1 at a control end connects to the network device AP1, in particular, the computer PC1 will request the network information of the device AP1, and the configuration of the computer PC1 should be modified according to the required IP address, subnet mask, DNS, and network gateway. After that, the computer PC1 can access the device AP1 in the same network condition.
Reference is made to
As mentioned above, the network device is configured via the web page generated in a HTTP server program. An ordinary computer can be used to access the device without installing any additional software, which is advantageous, but if the device exists in a complex network environment, it is hard to distinguish the specific device that needs to be configured. In fact, the network devices from the same factory will have the same network configuration, which doesn't fit with the present condition. Furthermore, the initial configuration of the network device needs to prevent IP addresses conflict, and needs to have the same network section or subnet mask, or extract a coincident configuration from the dynamic configuration.
The present invention introduces a method for accessing a device with an IP address being modified spontaneously. A resolution program installed in the network device can resolve a request string in a HTTP packet. The network device with that program can recognize the network information in the HTTP packet broadcast from a control end, and spontaneously modify its own configuration. The control end can thus access the device using the device's name only. A preferable embodiment of this invention comprises the steps of generating a HTTP request packet from a control end, querying whether the name of device corresponds to a target IP address, broadcasting the HTTP packet, receiving the name recorded in the HTTP packet at the device end, spontaneously modifying the IP address at the device end, feeding back the IP address of the device to the control end and starting to access the device.
The present invention will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction accompanying drawings, in which:
To allow the Examiner to understand the technology, means and functions adopted in the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description and attached drawing. The Examiner shall readily understand the invention deeply and concretely from the purpose, characteristics and specification of the present invention. Nevertheless, the present invention is not limited to the attached drawings and embodiments in following description.
Network devices, such as a router, switch, IP sharing device, information appliance and so on, usually need to be configured initially by connecting with a remote control host. The universal use for the initial or advanced configuration is to install a HTTP server program inside the network device, which the remote host can access using a web browser in a wired or wireless manner. It's not necessary to use additional software or tools because the items of the configuration can be found on a web browser. In spite of the merits mentioned above, the prior method still needs to consider complex network circumstances. The present invention relates to a method for accessing a device comprising (1) actively learning the required IP address from the broadcast information; and (2) spontaneously modifying a proper IP address with coincident network configuration and feeding back the same to a control end. Finally, the control end can access the device without any additional setting.
Reference is made to
The device's initial or modified name is requisite for the method of the present invention. The device's proprietary name, like AP001, AP002 or AP003, is included in the HTTP request packet and used to distinguish the network devices in a local area network. The method comprises the following steps. First, the network devices and the computer at the control end are connected to each other physically in a wired or wireless manner. Essentially, the network device's name (such as, for example, AP001) is prepared.
A web browser is then executed in a host of the control end, and the device's name, such as, for example, http://AP001/, is filled into the blank on the web URL. One or a more HTTP request packets is generated (step S401).
The HTTP protocol is performed to resolve the name with a domain name system (DNS), windows Internet naming service (WINS) or any other lookup table with correspondence of IP address and the name in the local area network (LAN). Then the protocol queries as to whether the name of device corresponds to a target IP address (step S403).
If step S403 can resolve the name corresponding to an IP address, step S415 afterward is performed since the IP address is fed back to the control end. If the query fails to find the correspondence of the IP and the name, step S405 is performed.
The HTTP protocol used at the control end broadcasts the HTTP request packets to the network devices and hosts in the LAN (step S405). The network devices and hosts in the LAN receive the HTTP packets with the device's name recorded therein (step S407). The embedded operation system with a resolution program in the network device resolves the name recorded in the HTTP packet, and determines whether the name corresponds to the device (step S409).
If a device in the LAN receives the packet and determines that the device's name therein does not correspond, then a packet such as NAK (Negative Acknowledge) is sent in answer to the control end. Meanwhile, the control end broadcasts the HTTP packets continuously while receiving the NAK packet. If the device receives the packet with the corresponding name, then step S411 is performed.
A resolution program is installed in the network device and is used to modify the network configuration of the network device. When the device learns the information of the packet broadcast from the control end, the IP address of the device end is modified accordingly. The spontaneous modification can prevent the conflict of IP addresses in the LAN.
Moreover, because the network device cannot retrieve the subnet mask information from the HTTP packet directly in view of the TCP/IP technology, the device broadcasts an address resolution protocol (ARP) packet by itself to confirm the mask setting with the devices or hosts nearby. After that, the resolution program will modify not only the IP address and other network configuration, but also the subnet mask (step S411).
After confirming the IP address, the device feeds back the IP address to the control end (step S413). As the control end is fed back the packet from the device-to-be-configured, the resolution of the device's name is achieved. The control starts to access the device (step S415).
In particular, the present invention discloses a method for accessing a device with an IP address being modified spontaneously. The network device can thus modify its own network configuration, learning from the HTTP packet broadcast from the control end in use when accessing.
The many features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the written description above and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation as illustrated and described. Hence, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to as falling within the scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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93127576 | Sep 2004 | TW | national |