A method for configuring a communication network including a gateway adapted for connecting the communication network to a wide area communication network and connected to a plurality of nodes implementing an access point functionality is described. The nodes are coordinated in a centralised manner by a current master node selected from the plurality of nodes. The current master node obtains a virtual MAC address and an IP address associated with the virtual MAC address, the IP address being reserved for configuring network services. It next configures a virtual network interface from the IP address associated with the virtual MAC address.

A packet sending method includes obtaining, by a client device, an Internet Protocol (IP) anycast address of the anycast server cluster and an IP unicast address of the target server, generating, by the client device, an IP detection packet, where the IP detection packet is used to detect whether the target server is reachable based on the IP anycast address, and the IP detection packet includes the IP anycast address and the IP unicast address of the target server, and instructs the target server to replace the IP unicast address of the target server with the IP anycast address, and sending, by the client device, the IP detection packet to the target server.

A packet sending method includes obtaining, by a client device, an Internet Protocol (IP) anycast address of the anycast server cluster and an IP unicast address of the target server, generating, by the client device, an IP detection packet, where the IP detection packet is used to detect whether the target server is reachable based on the IP anycast address, and the IP detection packet includes the IP anycast address and the IP unicast address of the target server, and instructs the target server to replace the IP unicast address of the target server with the IP anycast address, and sending, by the client device, the IP detection packet to the target server.

A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium are described in which a global identification service is provided. The service includes a selection of an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address to an end device. The service encrypts a unique identifier of the end device with an encryption key to generate an IPv6 address. The service verifies whether the IPv6 address is an IPv6 address allocated to or owned by a service provider. When the IPv6 address is an allocated or owned IPv6 address, the IPv6 address is assigned to the end device. When the IPv6 address is not an allocated or owned IPv6 address, the service selects another encryption key until a suitable IPv6 address is generated. Subsequent to an assignment of the IPv6 address, a network uses the IPv6 address as a globally unique identifier for the end device.

A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium are described in which a global identification service is provided. The service includes a selection of an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address to an end device. The service encrypts a unique identifier of the end device with an encryption key to generate an IPv6 address. The service verifies whether the IPv6 address is an IPv6 address allocated to or owned by a service provider. When the IPv6 address is an allocated or owned IPv6 address, the IPv6 address is assigned to the end device. When the IPv6 address is not an allocated or owned IPv6 address, the service selects another encryption key until a suitable IPv6 address is generated. Subsequent to an assignment of the IPv6 address, a network uses the IPv6 address as a globally unique identifier for the end device.

A method for assigning new internet protocol (IP) addresses to new devices in an existing network is provided comprising assigning respective new IP addresses to one or more new network components by a first device based on one or more communications received by the first device, wherein the one or more communications comprise advertisement messages that include information about the one or more new network components. A network system is further provided, the network system comprising a first device adapted to assign respective new internet protocol (IP) addresses to one or more new network components based on one or more communications received by the first device, wherein the one or more communications comprise advertisement messages that include information about the one or more new network components.

A method for resolving split conditions in a port-extended network comprises receiving first information indicative of a first MAC address of a first controller on a first fabric link and second information indicative of a second MAC address of a second controller on a second fabric link. The method may also include determining that the first MAC address differs from the second MAC address and responsively determining that one of the first MAC address or the second MAC address was previously associated with a primary controller of the port-extended network. One of the first controller or the second controller is designated as the primary controller of the port-extended network based on the determination that one of the first MAC address or the second MAC address was previously associated with the primary controller.

Method for operating a user equipment device in a private network by a visiting device from outside the private network, each device being connected via a server gateway to a network function on a common server outside the private network, comprising the steps of: (i) creating and managing a private network context for both the user equipment device and the visiting device by each respective network function; (ii) consulting one or more databases defined by the network functions to authenticate the user equipment device and visiting device and subsequently determine whether the user equipment device and visiting device are allowed to join their private contexts; and if they are allowed to join their private contexts, (iii) setting up connections between the network functions on the server to join the private contexts of the user equipment device and visiting device and therewith

Provided is a communication system that includes first and second communication devices operating in conformance with IPv6 requirements, in which the first communication device (100) determines whether an own IP address for communication is utilized or not by monitoring a communication status, generates a response request message requesting a response message to the second communication device when the own IP address is determined to be no longer required, designates the own IP address as a destination of the response message in the response request message, and transmits the response request message to the second communication device (200) during a period when a Neighbor Cache entry related to the own IP address in the second communication device is in STALE state after transition from REACHABLE state.

A communications network is provided for a water treatment system. A controller is in communication with a plurality of network elements using digital communications. The network elements have a connection configured to connect the network element to the controller or another network element. The controller sends a message to the network elements to configure the network elements for communication with the controller. The controller receives a response from the network elements including a network address and a header. If the network address is a default address, configuration information is sent to the network element for communication on the network. If the network address is not a default address, communication is established with the network element. Messages sent from the controller to a network element having a network address not matching the network address of the network element are sent over the network to a next network element.