Method and an apparatus for a gateway

An apparatus comprising:

• a processor and a memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
• receive a first message from a network at a first port of a first node, the first node comprising a plurality of ports configured to be coupled to a plurality of devices, the first message comprising at least one address identifier, wherein the first message indicates that a device corresponding to the at least one address identifier was determined unreachable;
• remove an association in a routing table between the at least one address identifier and the first port, the routing table comprising a list of entries, each entry associating a device with at least one of the plurality of ports and including information as to whether the associated device is of the same type as the first node;
• and
• transmit a second message, for transmission in a communications network, only to each port of the plurality of ports which is coupled to a device of the same type as the first node, the second message comprising the at least one address identifier,
• wherein removing an association in a routing table between the at least one address identifier and the first port allows messages related to other addresses to continue to be communicated through the first port.

A computer program product comprising computer executable program code stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, which when executed by a processor causes an apparatus to perform:

• receiving a first message from a network at a first port of a first node, the first node comprising a plurality of ports configured to be coupled to a plurality of devices, the first message comprising at least one address identifier, wherein the first message indicates that a device corresponding to the at least one address identifier was determined unreachable;
• removing an association in a routing table between the at least one address identifier and the first port, the routing table comprising a list of entries, each entry associating a device with at least one of the plurality of ports and including information as to whether the associated device is of the same type as the first node;
• and
• transmitting a second message, for transmission M a communications network, only to each port of the plurality of ports which is coupled to a device of the same type as the first node, the second message comprising the at least one address identifier,
• wherein removing an association in a routing table between the at least one address identifier and the first port allows messages related to other addresses to continue to be communicated through the first port.