US 8,478,891 B1Granted

Employing socket ranges to ascertain layer 2 addresses

AssigneeSprint Communications Company L.P.

InventorsJeremy R. Breau, John H. Bennett, III, Frederick C. Rogers, Joseph Christopher Shojayi

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Abstract

Computer systems, computer-readable media, and computerized methods for determining a media access (MAC) address that corresponds with a network identifier in a wireless or wired network are provided. A dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server is employed to allocate a set of socket IP addresses that include a common IPv4 address paired with a selected group of ports, where none of the ports in the selected groups overlap. When assigned to a client device, the socket IP address uniquely identifies the client device within the network. A host device within the network is configured to broadcast an address resolution protocol (ARP) request to other devices within the network, such as the DHCP server, where the ARP request includes a socket IP address associated with recipient(s) of communications from the host device. In response to the ARP request, the appropriate device or DHCP server returns a MAC address of the recipient.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A computer system for determining data-link layer addresses of client devices in a local network, the system comprising:

a destination host device that is active on the local network;
an originating host device that broadcasts a request message to a plurality of nodes connected via the local network, wherein the request message includes an IPv4 address;
and
a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server that assigns a first socket IP address to the destination host device and a second socket IP address to the originating host device, wherein the first socket IP address includes the IPv4 address and a first group of ports, wherein the second socket IP address includes the IPv4 address and a second group of ports, and wherein the second group of ports that does not overlap the first group of ports, and wherein the DHCP server temporarily stores at an address resolution protocol (ARP) table the first socket IP address in association with the destination host device and the second socket IP address in association with the originating host device;
wherein the originating host device writes an entry into a host table utilizing a response from the destination host device or the DHCP server to the request message, the entry including a data-link layer address mapped to the IPv4 address and the first group of ports assigned to the destination host device,
wherein the originating host device incorporates the data-link layer address into a header of one or more data packets,
wherein the destination host device receives the one or more data packets upon transmission from the originating host device, and
wherein the first socket IP address uniquely identifies the destination host device from other host devices that are associated with the IPv4 address within the plurality of nodes connected via the local network.

5 more elements

A computerized method, employed by a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server, for determining a media access control (MAC) address upon being solicited by an originating host device, the method comprising:

receiving an address resolution protocol (ARP) request from the originating host device, wherein the ARP request includes an IPv4 address and a port number, wherein the originating host device is assigned a first socket IP address that includes the IPv4 address and a first group of ports;
accessing an ARP table that is populated with a plurality of entries, wherein one or more of the plurality of entries include MAC addresses mapped to IPv4 addresses and associated groups of ports;
comparing at a destination host device the IPv4 address received in the ARP request against the IPv4 addresses in the ARP table to determine a match, wherein the destination host device is assigned a second socket IP address that includes the IPv4 address and a second group of ports, and wherein the second group of ports that does not overlap the first group of ports;
comparing the port number received in the ARP request against the groups of ports associated with the IPv4 addresses that match the received IPv4 address;
when a group of ports associated with the matching IPv4 addresses is ascertained to include the port number, selecting the MAC address mapped to the ascertained group of ports, wherein the second socket IP address includes an IPv4 address that matches the received IPv4 address and the second group of ports that includes the received port number;
and
sending a response to the ARP request, where in the response includes the selected MAC address.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/690,825Filed 20 Jan 2010 · continuation in part
Priority: 9 Mar 2009
Granted: 2 Jul 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H04W 40/00
Communication routing or communication path finding
H04L 61/5014
Internet protocol [IP] addresses: using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
H04L 61/103
Of different types: across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
H04L 2101/604
Types of network addresses: address structures or formats

Family

Application12/400,588Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 9 Mar 2009
Application12/433,483Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 30 Apr 2009
Application12/634,299Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 9 Dec 2009
US 8,279,853 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 8,335,210 B1Related patent
US 8,358,648 B1Related patent
US 8,478,891 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.