CN110838934B

CN110838934B - Method, network device and medium for automatically selecting operation mode of network device

Info

Publication number: CN110838934B
Application number: CN201810943127.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 谭隽
Original assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd; Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Current assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd; Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Priority date: 2018-08-17
Filing date: 2018-08-17
Publication date: 2022-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 2038-08-17
Also published as: CN110838934A

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, a network device, and a computer-readable medium. In the communication method, at a first network device, in response to the first network device connecting to a network, a query is broadcast in the network, the query being for querying an operating mode of other network devices in the network. In response to receiving a response to the query from at least one second network device in the network, an operating mode of the at least one second network device is determined from the response. The operating mode of the first network device is set based at least in part on the operating mode of the at least one second network device. Embodiments of the present disclosure may improve the usability of network devices and provide a good user experience.

Description

Method, network device and medium for automatically selecting operation mode of network device

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of computer networks and communications, and more particularly, to a method, network device, and computer-readable medium for automatically selecting an operating mode of a network device.

Background

In a computer network or a communication network, especially in a mesh network (e.g., a Wi-Fi mesh network), there may be a variety of network devices, such as gateways and bridges. In general, a gateway is a device operating at the network layer for connecting to other networks, while a bridge is a device operating at the data link layer for connecting different network segments. In other words, the gateway and bridge provide layer 3 services and layer 2 services, respectively.

Currently, for cost innovation, the gateway and the bridge may be implemented by using a network device with the same hardware structure, and the network device may select whether to operate in the gateway mode or the bridge mode through software setting inside the network device. However, for the average user, there is currently no simple and flexible way to determine and set the proper operating mode of a network device when connecting the network device to a network, thus reducing the usability of the network device and resulting in a poor user experience.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, network device, and computer-readable medium for automatically selecting an operating mode of a network device.

In a first aspect of the disclosure, a method of communication is provided. The method comprises the following steps: at a first network device, in response to the first network device connecting to a network, a query is broadcast in the network, the query being for querying an operating mode of other network devices in the network. The method further comprises the following steps: in response to receiving a response to the query from at least one second network device in the network, an operating mode of the at least one second network device is determined from the response. The method further comprises the following steps: the operating mode of the first network device is set based at least in part on the operating mode of the at least one second network device.

In a second aspect of the disclosure, a network device is provided. The network device includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program instructions. The at least one memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to: in response to a network device connecting to a network, a query is broadcast in the network, the query being for querying an operating mode of other network devices in the network. The at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to: in response to receiving a response to the query by at least one further network device in the network, an operating mode of the at least one further network device is determined from the response. The at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to: the operating mode of the network device is set based at least in part on the operating mode of the at least one additional network device.

In a third aspect of the disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided. The computer readable medium comprises machine executable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to perform a method according to the first aspect.

It should be understood that the statements herein reciting aspects are not intended to limit the critical or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily apparent from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which:

fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a network in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a message interaction procedure between network devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 shows a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components.

Detailed Description

The principles and spirit of the present disclosure will be described with reference to a number of exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. It is understood that these specific embodiments are described only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

As used herein, the terms "comprises," comprising, "and the like are to be construed as open-ended inclusions, i.e.," including, but not limited to. The term "based on" should be understood as "based at least in part on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The terms "first," "second," and the like may refer to different or the same object. Other explicit and implicit definitions are also possible below.

As used herein, the term "determining" encompasses a wide variety of actions. For example, "determining" can include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., looking up in a table, a database or another data structure), ascertaining and the like. Further, "determining" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), and the like. Further, "determining" may include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, and the like.

The term "network device" as used herein may generally refer to any device connected to a computer network or communication network, including, but not limited to, computers, servers, hubs, switches, bridges, routers, gateways, network interface cards, wireless access points, printers and modems, fiber optic transceivers, fiber optic cables, and the like. In some cases, a network device may also be referred to as a network node or node. In some embodiments, one "network device" that is physically the same may serve as a "network device" for different functions in the network in different scenarios.

The term "circuitry" as used herein refers to one or more of the following: (a) hardware-only circuit implementations (such as implementations in only analog and/or digital circuitry); and (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of analog and/or digital hardware circuitry and software/firmware, and (ii) any portion of a hardware processor and software (including a digital signal processor, software, and memory that work together to cause an apparatus, such as an OLT or other computing device, to perform various functions); and (c) hardware circuitry and/or a processor, such as a microprocessor or a portion of a microprocessor, that requires software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but may be software-free when software is not required for operation.

The definition of circuit applies to all usage scenarios of this term in this application, including any claims. As another example, the term "circuitry" as used herein also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, or software or firmware accompanying it. For example, the term "circuitry" would also cover if applicable to the particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit, or a similar integrated circuit in an OLT or other computing device.

As mentioned above, there is currently no simple and flexible way for a user of a network device that can operate in multiple operating modes to determine and set the appropriate operating mode of the network device when connecting the network device to a network. For example, a user may not know whether to set a network device into a gateway mode of operation or a bridge mode of operation when connecting it into a residential network. This reduces the availability of network devices and results in a poor user experience. Conventionally, a user may set an operating mode of a network device using several ways, but each of these ways has its own problems.

For example, a manufacturer of a network device may provide a physical switch button on the network device, e.g., on its Printed Circuit Board (PCB), for switching the operational mode of the network device. However, this approach increases the hardware cost of the network device and does not solve the problem that the user does not know what operating mode to set the network to. For another example, the manufacturer may manufacture the network device to a particular operating mode at the time of shipment and then print or attach a label to the network device indicating the particular operating mode. However, this approach has a problem in that the operation mode of each network device is fixed and cannot be switched to other operation modes, which is a waste for the hardware capability of the network device.

For another example, the manufacturer may selectively set the network device to a certain operating mode when the network device is shipped from a factory, and the user may access the system software of the network device through a web graphical interface (GUI) or a mobile Applet (APP) to reset the operating mode of the network device in subsequent uses of the network device. However, this approach requires the user to manually configure the network device, has certain requirements on the user's capabilities, and increases the user's operational burden. In addition, this approach also fails to address the problem of the user not knowing what mode to set the network to.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, as well as other potential problems, presented in conventional approaches, embodiments of the present disclosure propose a method, network device, and computer-readable medium for automatically selecting an operating mode of a network device. By the embodiment of the disclosure, the network device can automatically select the proper working mode when being connected to the network without any operation of the user, thereby improving the usability of the network device and providing good user experience. Example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a network 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. As shown in FIG. 1, network 100 may include

network devices

110 and 140 that are connected together by

communication connection

115 and 135 to become part of network 100. In some embodiments,

network device

110 and 140 may be network devices capable of operating in multiple operating modes. In other embodiments, network device 110-140 may also be any suitable network device connected to network 100 and may be referred to as network node or node 110-140. In some embodiments, the communication connection 115-135 may be, for example, an Ethernet cable connection or a WiFi connection. In other embodiments, the communication connections 115-135 may be any suitable communication connections.

It should be understood that although a particular number of network devices and a particular number of communication connections are shown in fig. 1, this is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. In other embodiments, network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and any suitable number of communication connections between network devices. Further, it will be understood that network 100 may also include network devices that do not operate according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the network 100 may be a mesh network, such as a wireless (Wi-Fi) mesh network. Generally, a mesh network is a network in which information and control commands are transmitted between network nodes through dynamic routing. The network can keep the connection between every two nodes intact, and when some node in the network topology fails or cannot serve, the network architecture allows a new route to be formed in a 'hopping' mode and then information is sent to a transmission destination. Thus, in this case, there would be other possible communication connections between

network devices

110 and 140 that are not shown in FIG. 1.

As an example of a mesh network deployed in a customer's residence, the network device 110 may be an operator-provided drop-in device, such as a fiber modem, or the like. Network device 120 may operate as a gateway device of a mesh network, such as a Routing Gateway (RGW), while

network devices

130 and 140 may be bridge devices of the mesh network, also referred to as Access Points (APs). It will be appreciated that the above-described arrangement of functions or roles with respect to network devices 110-140 is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. In other embodiments, any other suitable configuration is possible. An example process for a network device to automatically select an operating mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a message interaction process 200 between the

network devices

110 and 130 according to an embodiment of the disclosure. For ease of discussion, the message interaction process 200 will be described below in conjunction with FIG. 1. It should be noted that in the following description, it is assumed without loss of generality that network

devices

110 and 130 join network 100 sequentially in time and are described in the perspective of network device 120. However, it will be understood that this sequencing is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other embodiments, network devices 110-130 may connect to network 100 in a different order than described or simultaneously.

As shown in fig. 2, network device 120 is connected 210 to network 100. For example, a user of network device 120 may connect it to an existing network device 110 in the user's home. In some cases, network device 110 may be an operator-provided in-home device, such as a fiber modem, disposed in a subscriber's residence. In other embodiments, network device 110 may also be a network device having the same physical structure as network device 120.

In some embodiments, network device 120 may detect whether it is connected to network 100 by monitoring ports. For example, network device 120 may have an ethernet LAN port, a Wi-Fi port, or both, to support access to a corresponding network. Network device 120 may determine to be connected to network 100 when network device 120 detects that the status of one or both of the ports changes from closed to open. In this case, the open port of network device 120 may initiate a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client to obtain an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

In response to network device 120 connecting 210 to network 100, network device 120 broadcasts 220 a query in network 100. The broadcasted query is used to query the operating mode of other network devices in the network 100. Further, in some embodiments, the query may also be used to obtain network topology information for subsequent use by network device 120. As an example, the query may be implemented in the form of a broadcast User Datagram Protocol (UDP) message, which may also be referred to as an operating mode query request. In an extreme case, when network device 120 broadcasts 220 a query, only network device 110 may be present in network 100. In other, more general, cases, when network device 120 broadcasts 220 a query, network 100 may also include other network devices. All network devices that receive the query will reply to network device 120 by issuing a response.

Thus, network device 120 receives 230 a response to the query to at least one network device 110 in network 100. Because the query is used to query the operating mode of other network devices, network device 110 will indicate the operating mode of network device 110 in the response. For example, the mode of operation of network device 110 may be a gateway mode of operation, a bridge mode of operation, or other modes of operation. In some embodiments, the response may be implemented by a unicast UDP message, which may also be referred to as an operating mode query response message.

Next, in response to receiving 230 a response to the query to the at least one network device 110 in the network 100, the network device 120 determines 240 an operating mode of the at least one network device 110 from the response. That is, network device 120 extracts the information carried in the response to determine the current operating mode of network device 110. When other network devices are present, network device 120 will also receive corresponding responses from these network devices, respectively, and network device 120 may similarly determine the current operating mode of these network devices.

Network device 120 then sets 250 an operating mode of network device 120 based at least in part on the operating mode of at least one network device 110. In other words, the network device 120 may reasonably select its own operating mode according to the current operating modes of other network devices already in the network 100, thereby joining the network 100 in an appropriate role. Thus, network device 120 may automatically select an appropriate operating mode when connected to a network without requiring any action by the user.

In some embodiments, network device 120 may be set to a bridge operating mode if the network device in the gateway operating mode is included in the at least one existing network device, including network device 110. This may be, for example, in a scenario where network 100 has one gateway sufficient to function. In other embodiments, the network 100 may have multiple gateways as desired. In such an embodiment, network device 120 may be set to a bridge operating mode if a sufficient number of gateways already exist in at least one existing network device, including network device 110. Otherwise, network device 120 may be set to the gateway mode of operation.

On the other hand, if at least one existing network device, including network device 110, does not include a network device in the gateway mode of operation, network device 120 may be set to the gateway mode of operation. For example, the network 100 should normally have at least one gateway. Thus, in the event that network device 120 determines that a gateway is not already present in network 100, it may operate in a gateway mode of operation. In this way, network device 120 may reasonably select its operating mode based on the operating modes of other devices in network 100, thereby ensuring that network device 120 joins network 100 in a proper manner, and maintaining networking rationality and stability of network 100.

In some embodiments, network device 120 is in a factory mode prior to accessing network 100, which is different from any operating mode, i.e., different from the gateway operating mode and the bridge operating mode. In this case, upon setting 250 the operating mode, network device 120 may change from a factory mode to a gateway or bridge operating mode. In this manner, a manufacturer of network device 120 may simply set network device 120 to a factory mode without regard to its intended mode of operation when manufacturing it. From the user's perspective, the user also need not be concerned with which operational mode the network device 120 belongs when obtaining (e.g., purchasing) the network device. Thus, network devices 120 produced in this manner improve consistency in production and use.

In some cases, for example, when network device 120 is accessed into network 100, there may not be any network devices in the connected state in network 100. In this case, network device 120 will not receive a response to the query for a predetermined period of time, at which time network device 120 may be set to the gateway mode of operation. The predetermined time period may be preset by a technician or a user according to a specific application environment or design requirements. In this way, network device 120 may be enabled to reasonably set the operating mode without having an online network device in network 100 or knowing the operating mode of other network devices. In some embodiments, network device 120 may partition out different subnets when operating as a gateway to network 100.

With continued reference to fig. 2, after network device 120 is connected to network 100 and set to a certain mode of operation, a new network device 130 may be connected into network 100. Network device 130 may similarly broadcast queries for the operating mode of other network devices in network 100. In response to receiving 260 the query broadcast from network device 130, network device 120 may send 270 a response to network device 130 indicating the operating mode of network device 120. For example, network device 120, when sending 270 the response, may be based on topology information in the current network.

As mentioned above, the above-described query and response issued by network device 120 may be implemented using UDP messages. To do so, network device 120 may initiate a background process (daemon) to process the UDP messages, e.g., to monitor whether a UDP message is received, etc. Further, although not shown in fig. 2, it will be appreciated that network device 110 will also receive a query of network device 130 and accordingly send a response to network device 130 indicating its operating mode.

In addition, in order to allow a user to manually set the operation mode of network device 120, network device 120 may set the operation mode according to a user input. Such manual setting by the user may be performed by an operation mode setting request message, which may be implemented by a unicast UDP message, for example. In operation, a user may access a computer or similar device into network 100 and then send an operating mode setting request message to network device 120 to set network device 120 to the operating mode desired by the user. In this way, the user is provided with the possibility to flexibly set the operating mode of the network device 120 according to the requirements.

In some embodiments, after being set to the user-desired operating mode, network device 120 may broadcast a notification message in network 100 to indicate the set operating mode to other network devices. For example, the broadcast notification message may also be implemented as a broadcast UDP message, and may be referred to as an operation mode setting response message. Upon receiving the notification message from network device 120, other network devices in network 100 may know the latest operating mode of network device 120 and adjust their operating modes accordingly if necessary.

Fig. 3 shows a flow chart of a communication method 300 according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In some embodiments, the method 300 may be implemented by the network device 120-140 in the network 100, for example, may be implemented by a processor or a processing unit of the network device 120-140. In other embodiments, the method 300 may be implemented by a computing device separate from the

network device

120 and 140, or may be implemented by other elements in the network 100.

For ease of discussion, method 300 will be discussed below with network device 120 of fig. 1 illustratively being a first network device, network device 110 being a second network device, and network device 130 being other network devices. However, it will be understood that any network device in the network 100 may similarly perform the method 300 as the first network device.

At 310, first network device 120 detects whether first network device 120 is connected to network 100. If first network device 120 detects at 310 that first network device 120 is connected to network 100, method 300 proceeds to 320.

At 320, the first network device 120 broadcasts a query in the network 100, the query querying the operating mode of other network devices in the network 100.

At 330, the first network device 120 detects whether a response to the query is received by at least one second network device 110 in the network 100. If first network device 120 determines at 330 that a response to the query is received from at least one second network device 110 in network 100, method 300 proceeds to 340.

At 340, first network device 120 determines an operating mode of at least one second network device 110 from the response.

At 350, first network device 120 sets an operating mode of first network device 120 based at least in part on an operating mode of at least one second network device 110.

In some embodiments, first network device 120 may set the operating mode by: in response to the network device in the gateway operating mode being included in the at least one second network device 110, setting the first network device 120 to the bridge operating mode; and responsive to none of the at least one second network device 110 including a network device in the gateway mode of operation, setting the first network device 120 to the gateway mode of operation.

In some embodiments, first network device 120 may set the operating mode by: the first network device 120 is changed from the factory mode to the gateway mode of operation or the bridge mode of operation.

In some embodiments, first network device 120 may be set to the gateway mode of operation in response to not receiving a response to the query within a predetermined period of time.

In some embodiments, in response to receiving a query broadcast from another network device 130, first network device 120 may send a response to another network device 130 to indicate the operating mode of first network device 120.

In some embodiments, first network device 120 may set the operating mode according to user input; and broadcasting a notification message in the network 100 to indicate the set operation mode to other network devices.

In some embodiments, devices capable of performing method 300 (e.g., network devices 120-140) may include respective means for performing the various steps of method 300. These components may be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, it may be implemented by a circuit or a software module.

In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises: means for broadcasting, at a first network device, a query in a network in response to the first network device connecting to the network, the query for querying an operating mode of other network devices in the network; means for determining, in response to receiving a response to the query from at least one second network device in the network, an operating mode of the at least one second network device from the response; and means for setting an operating mode of the first network device based at least in part on an operating mode of the at least one second network device.

In some embodiments, the means for setting the operating mode of the first network device may comprise: means for setting the first network device to a bridge mode of operation in response to the network device being in the gateway mode of operation being included in the at least one second network device; and means for setting the first network device to the gateway mode of operation in response to none of the at least one second network device comprising a network device in the gateway mode of operation.

In some embodiments, the means for setting the operating mode of the first network device may comprise: means for changing the first network device from a factory mode to a gateway mode of operation or a bridge mode of operation.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise: means for setting the first network device to a gateway operating mode in response to not receiving a response to the query within a predetermined period of time.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise: means for transmitting a response to another network device to indicate an operating mode of the first network device in response to receiving a query broadcast from the other network device.

In some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise: means for setting an operating mode of the first network device according to a user input; and means for broadcasting a notification message in the network to indicate the set operating mode to other network devices.

Fig. 4 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a device 400 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, device 400 may be used to implement a network device, such as

network device

110 and 140 shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in fig. 4, the apparatus 400 includes a controller 410. The controller 410 controls the operation and functions of the device 400. For example, in some embodiments, the controller 410 may perform various operations by way of instructions 430 stored in a memory 420 coupled thereto.

The memory 420 may be of any suitable type suitable to the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, including but not limited to semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems. It will be appreciated that although only one memory 420 is illustrated in FIG. 4, a plurality of physically distinct memory units may be present in device 400.

The controller 410 may be of any suitable type suitable to the local technical environment, and may include, but is not limited to, one or more of general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microcontrollers, digital signal controllers (DSPs), and controller-based multi-core controller architectures. The device 400 may also include a plurality of controllers 410. The controller 410 is coupled to a transceiver 440, which transceiver 440 may enable the reception and transmission of information by way of one or more antennas 450 and/or other components.

When device 400 is acting as

network device

110, 130, controller 410, memory 420, instructions 430 and transceiver 440 may operate in cooperation to implement method 300 described above with reference to fig. 3. All features described above with reference to fig. 2 to 3 are applicable to the device 400 and will not be described again here.

It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be realized in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware. The hardware portions may be implemented using dedicated logic; the software portions may be stored in a memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system, such as a microprocessor or specially designed hardware. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the apparatus and methods described above may be implemented using computer executable instructions and/or embodied in processor control code, for example such code provided in programmable memory or on a data carrier such as an optical or electronic signal carrier.

By way of example, embodiments of the disclosure may be described in the context of machine-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, being executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or split between program modules as described. Machine-executable instructions for program modules may be executed within local or distributed devices. In a distributed facility, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage media.

Computer program code for implementing the methods of the present disclosure may be written in one or more programming languages. These computer program codes may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that the program codes, when executed by the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, cause the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks to be performed. The program code may execute entirely on the computer, partly on the computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server.

In the context of the present disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations described above. Examples of a carrier include a signal, computer readable medium, and the like. Examples of signals may include electrical, optical, radio, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals, such as carrier waves, infrared signals, and the like.

The computer readable medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination thereof. More detailed examples of a computer-readable storage medium include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

Further, while the operations of the methods of the present disclosure are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this does not require or imply that these operations must be performed in this particular order, or that all of the illustrated operations must be performed, to achieve desirable results. Rather, the steps depicted in the flowcharts may change the order of execution. Additionally or alternatively, certain steps may be omitted, multiple steps combined into one step execution, and/or one step broken down into multiple step executions. It should also be noted that the features and functions of two or more devices according to the present disclosure may be embodied in one device. Conversely, the features and functions of one apparatus described above may be further divided into embodiments by a plurality of apparatuses.

While the present disclosure has been described with reference to several particular embodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. The disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of communication, comprising:

at a first network device, in response to the first network device connecting to a network, broadcasting a query in the network, the query being for querying an operating mode of other network devices in the network;

in response to receiving a response to the query from at least one second network device in the network, determining an operating mode of the at least one second network device from the response; and

setting an operating mode of the first network device based at least in part on an operating mode of the at least one second network device,

wherein setting the operating mode of the first network device comprises:

in response to the network device in the gateway operating mode being included in the at least one second network device, setting the first network device to a bridge operating mode; and

setting the first network device to a gateway operating mode in response to not including the network device in the gateway operating mode from the at least one second network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the operating mode of the first network device comprises:

and changing the first network equipment from a factory mode to a gateway working mode or a bridge working mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to not receiving a response to the query within a predetermined time period, setting the first network device to a gateway mode of operation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving a query broadcast from another network device, sending a response to the other network device to indicate an operating mode of the first network device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting an operating mode of the first network device according to a user input; and

broadcasting a notification message in the network to indicate the set operating mode to the other network devices.

6. A network device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program instructions, the at least one memory and the computer program instructions configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to:

in response to the network device connecting to a network, broadcasting a query in the network, the query querying for operating modes of other network devices in the network;

in response to receiving a response to the query by at least one further network device in the network, determining from the response an operating mode of the at least one further network device; and

setting an operating mode of the network device based at least in part on an operating mode of the at least one further network device,

wherein setting the operating mode of the network device comprises: the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to:

in response to a network device in a gateway mode of operation being included in the at least one further network device, setting the network device to a bridge mode of operation; and

in response to a network device in a gateway mode of operation not being included in the at least one additional network device, setting the network device to the gateway mode of operation.

7. The network device of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to:

and changing the network equipment from a factory mode to a gateway working mode or a network bridge working mode.

8. The network device of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to:

in response to not receiving a response to the query within a predetermined time period, setting the network device to a gateway mode of operation.

9. The network device of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to:

in response to receiving a query broadcast from another network device, a response is sent to the other network device to indicate an operating mode of the network device.

10. The network device of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to:

setting an operating mode of the network device according to a user input; and

11. A computer readable medium having stored thereon machine executable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to perform the method of any one of claims 1-5.