Transmitting a data packet in a content-centric network

A content provider for transmitting a data packet in a content-centric network (CCN), the content provider comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a content request packet from a content requester;
• a processor configured to:
• verify whether a content request packet requesting an identical content is present in a pending interest table (PIT) in response to the content request packet being received;
• increase a value of a counter corresponding to the content request packet in response to the content request packet being present in the PIT;
• and
• compare the value of the counter to a predetermined threshold value;
• and
• a transmitter configured to transmit a data packet using a predefined broadcast media access control (MAC) address in response to the content request packet being received and the value of the counter being greater than or equal to the threshold value,
• wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmitting the data packet using a unicast MAC address recognized from the CCN over address resolution protocol (ARP) packet corresponding to a CCN protocol address in response to the content request packet being received and the value of the counter being less than the threshold value.

A method of transmitting a data packet from a content provider in a content-centric network (CCN), the method comprising:

• verifying whether a content request packet requesting a content identical to a content of a content request packet being received from a content requester is present in a pending interest table (PIT);
• increasing a value of a counter corresponding to the content request packet based on a result of the verification in response to the content request packet being present in the PIT;
• comparing the value of the counter to a threshold value;
• determining how to transmit a data packet;
• transmitting the data packet in response to the content request packet being received and a result of the comparing,
• wherein the determining comprises determining to transmit the data packet using a unicast media access control (MAC) address recognized from the CCN over address resolution protocol (ARP) packet corresponding to a CCN protocol address in response to the value of the counter being less than the threshold value;
• and
• determining to transmit the data packet using a predefined broadcast MAC address in response to the content request packet being received and the value of the counter being greater than or equal to the threshold value.