Method and apparatus for router port configuration
AssigneeThomson Licensing
InventorMark Ryan Mayernick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for selectively configuring, in a router, physical ports to either a Wide Area Network (WAN) or a Local Area Network (LAN). Method steps include receiving a message to configure a physical port for use with either the LAN or WAN; associating, in response to receiving the message, a set of mapping assignments for using the physical port to access the network; and implementing the mapping assignments, in response to associating the mapping assignments, to configure the physical port for coupling to the network.
Claims17
A method of configuring, in a router having a LAN interface and a WAN interface, a physical port for coupling to a network, said method comprising:
- receiving a message to configure said physical port for use with said network;
- associating, responsive to receiving said message, a set of mapping assignments for using said physical port to access said network;
- and
- implementing said mapping assignments, responsive to associating said mapping assignments, to configure said physical port for coupling to said network,
- wherein said implementing step selectively controls whether said physical port is coupled to the LAN interface or the WAN interface.
A router having a physical port for coupling to a network and further having a LAN interface and a WAN interface, said router comprising:
- means for receiving a message to configure said physical port for use with said network;
- means for associating, responsive to receiving said message, a set of mapping assignments for using said physical port to access said network;
- and
- means for implementing said mapping assignments, responsive to associating said mapping assignments, to configure said physical port for coupling to said network,
- wherein said implementing means selectively controls whether said physical port is coupled to the LAN interface or the WAN interface.
A router comprising:
- processor, memory, and support circuitry having a WAN/LAN port manager;
- a LAN interface;
- a WAN interface;
- and
- a plurality of physical ports selectively connectable to said LAN interface or said WAN interface,
- wherein said WAN/LAN port manager selectively controls whether each of said plurality of physical ports is physically coupled to said LAN interface or said WAN interface responsive to a configuration message and prior to a receipt of a corresponding packet to be routed by the router.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.