Port discovery via passive internet group management protocol snooping neighbors

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in conjunction with a computer network device, the computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed by the computer network device, causes the computer network device to perform operations comprising:

• receiving an instance of a message associated with a second computer network device in a network via a port associated with a link between the computer network device and the second computer network device;
• based at least in part on the received instance of the message, identifying the port as being a type of port, and not forwarding the instance of the message to one or more additional computer network devices via one or more additional ports;
• and
• providing an additional instance of the message addressed to a given additional computer network device in the one or more additional computer network devices via a given additional port in the one or more additional ports that has not already been identified as being the type of port or has not already been identified as not being the type of port.

A method for performing a passive snooping communication protocol, comprising:

• by a computer network device:
• receiving an instance of a message associated with a second computer network device in a network via a port associated with a link between the computer network device and the second computer network device;
• based at least in part on the received instance of the message, identifying the port as being a type of port, and not forwarding the instance of the message to one or more additional computer network devices via one or more additional ports;
• and
• providing an additional instance of the message addressed to a given additional computer network device in the one or more additional computer network devices via a given additional port in the one or more additional ports that has not already been identified as being the type of port or has not already been identified as not being the type of port.