[54] AUTOMATIC ADDRESS SETTER CAPABLE OF DETERMINING A NETWORK ADDRESS OF A HOST STATION
[75] Inventor: Akira Hashimoto. Tokyo, Japan
[73] Assignee: NEC Corporation. Tokyo, Japan
[21] Appl. No.: 404,988
[22] Filed: Mar. 16,1995
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data
Mar. 16, 1994 [JP] Japan 6-072667
[51] Int. CI.6 II04.J 3/24
[52] U.S. Ci 370/447; 370/471
[58] Field of Search 370/85.1.85.2.
370/94.1. 60. 60.1. 94.2. 85.13. 92. 93. 25.7. 95.3. 95.1. 91. 241. 245. 247, 389, 455. 449, 450. 447. 445, 444. 443. 461, 471, 475. 474, 908; 375/311. 317
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
5,150,464 9/1992 Sidhu et al 395/200.1
5,400,333 3/1995 Perlman 370/256
In a method of determining an assigned network address of a host station connected to a local area network, a predetermined routing information signal, such as an RIP packet, which is periodically received by the host station is monitored to detect an unused network address in the local area network. On detection of the unused network address, a request signal is transmitted to the local area network with the unused network address attached to the request signal to monitor presence or absence of a response signal to the request signal and to determine the assigned network address of the host station when the response signal is absent.
9 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
