Method for providing network map through gateway device and thereby assisting user in managing peripheral network devices

A method for providing a network map through a gateway device and thereby assisting a user in managing peripheral network devices, the method being applicable to a network system comprising the gateway device and at least an active network device or at least a passive network device, wherein the gateway device has a map web page, an icon list and a blacklist or a white list stored therein and is connected to each said active network device or each said passive network device, the icon list has a plurality of icons stored therein and each corresponding to a network device type, and each of the blacklist or the white list is configured to record network device identification codes of all said active network devices that the gateway device has been connected to;

• the method comprising the steps, performed by the gateway device at every predetermined interval upon being activated, of:
• searching for said active network device or said passive network device that the gateway device is currently connectable to, and reading basic data of each said active or passive network device found;
• identifying the network device type of each said active or passive network device found according to the basic data read, and reading the icon from the icon list which corresponds to each said network device type identified;
• integrating the icons read and the basic data read into the map web page to create a network device map web page and then converting the network device map web page into a web page message;
• reading a service request instruction upon determining that the service request instruction is received from said active network device, and sending the web page message to the active network device so as for the active network device to display the network device map web page in an icon-based way through a browser thereof;
• receiving a blacklist write-in instruction or a white list write-in instruction from the browser of the active network device, and reading a web page address and said network device identification code contained in the blacklist write-in instruction or the white list write-in instruction;
• and
• storing the web page address into the blacklist or the white list at a location corresponding to the network device identification code.