Communication apparatus, authentication apparatus, communication method and authentication method

An authentication apparatus for transmitting an authentication frame to a communication apparatus and receiving a response frame for response to the authentication frame from the communication apparatus, thereby performing an authentication process for the communication apparatus, the authentication apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor and memory;
• a transmission destination address changing section which changes a transmission destination, address of the authentication frame;
• a reception determining section which determines whether the response frame is received from the communication apparatus;
• and
• a transmitting section which transmits the authentication frame to the communication apparatus, wherein
• the transmitting section transmits the authentication frame to the communication apparatus using a multicast address as the transmission destination address, and
• if the reception determining section determines that the response frame is not received from the communication apparatus, the transmission destination address changing section changes the transmission destination address from the multicast address to a broadcast address, and the transmitting section transmits the authentication frame that has the transmission destination address changed to the broadcast address to the communication apparatus.

A communication method of transmitting an authentication frame to an authentication apparatus and receiving a response frame for response to the authentication frame from the authentication apparatus so that an authentication process is performed by the authentication apparatus, the method comprising:

• changing a transmission destination address of the authentication frame;
• determining whether the response frame is received from the authentication apparatus;
• and
• transmitting the authentication frame to the authentication apparatus, wherein
• the authentication frame is transmitted to the authentication apparatus using a multicast address as the transmission destination address, and
• if it is determined that the response frame is not received from the authentication apparatus, the transmission destination address is changed from the multicast address to a broadcast address, and the authentication frame that has the transmission destination address changed to the broadcast address is transmitted to the authentication apparatus, wherein the changing, the determining and the transmitting are performed by a configured communication apparatus including at least one processor and memory.

An authentication method of transmitting an authentication frame to a communication apparatus and receiving a response frame for response to the authentication frame from the communication apparatus to perform an authentication process for the communication apparatus, the method comprising:

• changing a transmission destination address of the authentication frame;
• determining whether the response frame is received from the communication apparatus;
• and
• transmitting the authentication frame to the communication apparatus, wherein
• the authentication frame is transmitted to the communication apparatus using a multicast address as the transmission destination address, and
• if it is determined that the response frame is not received from the communication apparatus, the transmission destination address is changed from the multicast address to a broadcast address, and the authentication frame that has the transmission destination address changed to the broadcast address is transmitted to the communication apparatus, wherein the changing, the determining and the transmitting are performed by a configured authentication apparatus including at least one processor and memory.