JP2010268318A - Device, method and program for detecting repeater - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device, a program, and a method for detecting a repeater relaying any electronic equipment from a viewpoint of network, and furthermore to provide a remote support system utilizing this detecting method. <P>SOLUTION: To one port to which two or more pieces of electronic equipment 10 are connected, a router 50 continues to supervise that plural device inherent addresses are received from the two or more pieces of electronic equipment 10. When the plural device inherent addresses are received, a flag indicating that one repeater 20 resides is set, and the flag is settled with a lapse of predetermined period. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus, a method, a program, and a remote support system using this method for detecting a repeater (in particular, a hub, a wireless LAN access point, a router) that relays an electronic device.

  Conventionally, for beginners who operate personal computers and appliances, remote support via a public line network is available, and client personal computers and electrical appliances can be accessed directly. Thus, it is known that the support side grasps the situation of the trouble or the like and performs the trouble handling.

  For example, there is disclosed a method of accepting remote access by accessing a client from a support computer while ensuring security without making complicated settings to the user (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). reference).

JP 2005-026856 A JP-A-2005-149301

  However, in the inventions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, remote support can be received for a device that the client understands as a problem, but if there is a problem other than the target device, the problem is solved. I can't.

  In other words, the client receiving support cannot tell the support side that there is a device other than the target device, and the support side cannot solve the problem itself even though there is no problem with the target device. , Problem solving may take time. That is, it is desirable from the viewpoint of early solution of the problem that the support side also manages information other than the device that the client considers a problem, and performs remote support based on the information.

  In particular, in a network-related problem, there may be a problem in a relay device such as a hub, a wireless LAN access point, and a sub router that relays a personal computer that a client considers as a target device and a router that is a network device. However, since the user is not conscious of the existence of this repeater, the problem may not be solved.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, a method, and a program for detecting a repeater that relays an electronic device from the network, and to provide a remote support system using the detection method.

(1) A network management apparatus (for example, a router 50 described later) connected to a support management server via a public line so as to be communicable and connected to two or more electronic devices,
Monitoring means (for example, described later) for monitoring that a plurality of device specific addresses (for example, MAC addresses or IP addresses described later) are received from the two or more electronic devices with respect to one port of the network management apparatus. Device unique address monitoring means 54),
When the monitoring unit receives the plurality of device unique addresses, a flag activation unit (for example, to be described later) that sets a flag indicating that the one relay unit (for example, to be described later, relay unit 20) exists. Flag activation means 53),
A network management apparatus comprising:

  According to the invention pertaining to (1), the network management device continues to monitor that a plurality of device-specific addresses have been received from two or more electronic devices for a single port to which two or more electronic devices are connected. When a plurality of device-specific addresses are received, a flag indicating that there is one repeater is set. Therefore, it is possible for the network management apparatus to detect that there is one repeater at one port.

(2) The network management device according to (1),
The monitoring means monitors that a device unique address having a different segment from the network management device is received from the electronic device for one port;
The flag activation means includes a router (for example, a sub-router 20-c, which will be described later) as the one relay device when the monitoring means receives a device unique address with a different network address. A network management device characterized by setting a flag indicating

  According to the invention according to (2), a device having a different network address is monitored by monitoring that a device-specific address having a different network address (network segment) from the electronic device is received for one port. When a unique address is received, a flag indicating that a router exists as one relay is set. Therefore, it is possible to detect that a router is connected to the network management apparatus as a relay device.

(3) A network management device (for example, a router 50, which will be described later) connected to a support management server via a public line so as to be communicable and connected to two or more electronic devices.
Monitoring means (for example, described later) for monitoring that a plurality of device specific addresses (for example, MAC addresses or IP addresses described later) are received from the two or more electronic devices with respect to one port of the network management apparatus. Device unique address monitoring means 54),
When the monitoring unit receives the plurality of device unique addresses, a flag activation unit (for example, to be described later) that sets a flag indicating that the one relay unit (for example, to be described later, relay unit 20) exists. Flag activation means 53),
A program characterized by functioning as

  According to the invention according to (3), the network management apparatus that executes the program has received a plurality of device-specific addresses from two or more electronic devices for one port to which two or more electronic devices are connected. If a plurality of device-specific addresses are received, a flag indicating that there is one repeater is set. Therefore, it is possible for the network management apparatus to detect that there is one repeater at one port.

(4) A method executed by a network management device (for example, a router 50 described later) connected to a support management server via a public line so as to be communicable and connected to two or more electronic devices,
A monitoring step of monitoring that a plurality of device specific addresses (for example, MAC addresses or IP addresses described later) have been received from the two or more electronic devices for one port of the network management device;
In the monitoring step, when the plurality of device unique addresses are received, a flag activation step for setting a flag indicating that the one relay device (for example, the relay device 20 described later) exists;
A method comprising the steps of:

  According to the invention according to (4), for one port to which two or more electronic devices are connected, it is continuously monitored that a plurality of device unique addresses have been received from two or more electronic devices, and a plurality of device unique When the address is received, a flag indicating that there is one repeater is set. Therefore, it is possible for the network management apparatus to detect that there is one repeater at one port.

(5) A remote support system including a support management server, a network management device (for example, a router 50 described later) connected to two or more electronic devices, and a support terminal that supports users. ,
The network management device is
Monitoring means for monitoring that a plurality of device specific addresses (for example, MAC address or IP address described later) are received from the two or more electronic devices for one port (for example, device specific address monitoring described later) Means 54);
When the monitoring unit receives the plurality of device unique addresses, a flag activation unit (for example, to be described later) that sets a flag indicating that the one relay unit (for example, to be described later, relay unit 20) exists. Flag activation means 53),
Transmission means for transmitting the topology data associated with the one port that the flag has been set to a support management server,
The support management server
Storage means for storing topology data received from the network management device (for example, home network management database 102 described later);
A transmission means (for example, home network management means 101 described later) for transmitting the topology data to the support terminal when requested by the support terminal;
The support terminal is
A diagnostic execution unit (for example, remote support execution unit 202, which will be described later) that refers to the topology data and executes the diagnostic program for the electronic device when executing the diagnostic program for the electronic device;
A remote support system comprising:

  According to the invention according to (5), it is continuously monitored that a plurality of device-specific addresses are received from two or more electronic devices with respect to one port to which two or more electronic devices are connected. When the address is received, a flag indicating that there is one repeater is set. Then, this topology data is transmitted to the support management server as topology data associated with one port of the network management device (for example, router 50 described later) that this flag has been set. The support management server receives and stores the topology data, and transmits the topology data to the server when requested by the support terminal. When the support terminal executes a diagnostic program for the electronic device, the support terminal refers to the topology data and executes the diagnostic program. Therefore, according to this method, it is possible to execute the diagnosis by reflecting the presence of one relay device at one port in the execution of the diagnostic program of the electronic device.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the apparatus, method, and program which detect the apparatus which relays an electronic device are provided, Furthermore, the remote support system using this detection method can be provided.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a remote support system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the function structure of the support management server 100, the router 50, and the support terminal 200 which are one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the registration flow of topology data which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the topology data table (MAC address) which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the corresponding table of the electronic device which is one Embodiment of this invention, and an apparatus specific address. It is a figure which shows notionally the topology structure which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the remote support flow which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the ID corresponding | compatible table which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a screen image figure displayed on the support terminal 200 which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a hardware block diagram of the router 50 which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the topology data table (IP address) which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows notionally a topology structure in case the network segment which is one Embodiment of this invention differs. It is a hardware block diagram of the support management server 100 or the support terminal 200 which is one Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
[Overview]
The outline of the remote support system 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the remote support system 1.

  The remote support system 1 includes a support management server 100, a support terminal 200, a public network (Internet: WAN (Wide Area Network)) 3, a router 50, a hub 20-a, and a wireless LAN access point 20-b. The electronic device 10 having a network function includes a telephone 10-a, a content reproduction / recording apparatus 10-b, a television 10-c, and a personal computer 10-d.

  The home network 2 includes a router 50, a relay device 20 (for example, a hub 20-a, a wireless LAN access point 20-b), and an electronic device 10 in the home network 2 as a telephone 10-a, a content playback / recording device. 10-b, television 10-c, and personal computer 10-d. By connecting the router 50 to the public line network 3, the electronic device 10 can be connected to an external network. Here, the home network 2 is a term for convenience and corresponds to a local network and may include an intranet used for business use without being limited to a home. The electronic device 10 in the home network 2 is not limited to home use, and may be a business electronic device.

  The electronic device 10 is not limited to the above example as long as it is an electronic device having a network function. At least each electronic device 10 has a unique device unique address (MAC (Media Access Control) address or (and) IP (Internet Protocol) address), communicates with the router 50 by the device unique address, and uses a public line. This is an electronic device that can realize the communication function used.

  The device unique address is a unique address of the electronic device 10 and may be a MAC (Media Access Control) address or (and) an IP (Internet Protocol) address.

  The relay machine 20 is a device that relays a network by being connected to one or more electronic devices 10 in a wired or wireless manner, and is a router (not a hub 20-a, a wireless LAN access point 20-b, or a router 50). “Sub-router 20-c” described later). That is, the sub-router 20-c is a router that performs processing between networks having different network segments in the home network 2. An embodiment of the subrouter 20-c will be described in a second example.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the hub 20-a is communicable with a telephone 10-a and a content playback / recording apparatus 10-b connected by wire. The wireless LAN access point 20-b can communicate with each of the television 10-c and the personal computer 10-d by radio. In this case, the wireless area 5 is formed as an area where the wireless LAN access point 20-b transmits wireless radio waves.

[Function configuration]
With reference to FIG. 2, functional configurations of the router 50, the support management server 100, and the support terminal 200 will be described.

  The router 50 includes a control unit 51 and a communication I / F (interface) unit 55. The control unit 51 includes a device unique address monitoring unit 54, a flag starting unit 53, and a topology data transmitting unit 52. The router 50 is a preferred embodiment of the network management device, but may be a computer or server having this function instead of a router as long as it has the function described below.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 51 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 40, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 41, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 42. The communication I / F unit 55 includes a WAN port 56 and a LAN port 57. The device unique address monitoring unit 54, the flag starting unit 53, and the topology data transmitting unit 52 are realized by these hardwares reading a program for realizing this function in cooperation.

  The device unique address monitoring means 54 monitors whether the device unique address is received from each of the port 1 and port 2 of the LAN port 57. For example, when the hub 20-a is connected to the port 1 and the wireless LAN access point 20-b is connected to the port 2, it is monitored whether a packet including a device unique address is received from each of these ports.

  The flag activation unit 53 is a unit that executes a flag activation process for activating a flag indicating that the relay device 20 exists when a single port receives a plurality of device-specific addresses.

  The topology data transmission means 52 is means for transmitting topology data to the support management server 100 via the WAN port 56.

  The support management server 100 includes a home network management unit 101 and a home network management database 102. The home network management database 102 stores topology data transmitted from the router 50.

  The home network management unit 101 receives a request for topology data from the support terminal 200, searches the home network management database 102 based on the home network ID, and transmits the topology data to the support terminal 200.

  The support terminal 200 includes a remote support execution unit 202. The remote support execution unit 202 executes a diagnostic program with reference to the topology data for the electronic device 10, and displays a diagnosis result on the display unit of the support terminal 200. To do.

[Registration process flow]
With reference to FIG. 3, a flow for detecting the relay device 20 and registering topology data in the support management server 100 in the remote support system 1 will be described.

  The support management server 100 requests the router 50 for topology data at a predetermined timing (step S01). This request may be made by accessing the support management server 100 when the router 50 is connected to the public line network 3 for the first time, and the support management server 100 may request this access. Further, the support management server 100 may make a request periodically during a predetermined period.

  When this request is received, the router 50 executes a monitoring process for monitoring the device unique address included in the packet transmitted from the electronic device 10 (step S02).

  Even if this request is not received, the router 50 may execute the monitoring process at a predetermined timing. For example, when the router 50 recognizes a new electronic device 10 in the home network 2, the monitoring process may be started. That is, the timing when the new electronic device 10 is connected is useful because the repeater 20 may be added.

  In the following description, a mode in which a MAC address is used as a device unique address will be described. However, a case in which an IP address is used in the second embodiment will be described.

  Next, the router 50 receives the packet A including the MAC address A that is a device specific address from the telephone 10-a that is one of the electronic devices 10 (step S03). Here, the router 50 stores the port number of the LAN port 57 of the router 50 that received the packet A in association with the MAC address A.

  Here, the packet A including the MAC address A may be transmitted to the router 50 as a response to the ARP command transmitted from the router 50.

  Next, the router 50 receives the packet B including the MAC address B that is a device specific address from the content reproduction / recording apparatus 10-b that is one of the electronic devices 10 (step S04). Here, the router 50 stores the port number of the LAN port 57 of the router 50 that has received the packet B in association with the MAC address B.

  Then, it is determined whether two or more different MAC addresses are received at the same port. In that case, a flag activation process is executed (step S05), and when the flag is activated, a topology data table is generated. By updating, network topology generation / update processing is performed (step S06).

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the router 50 generates a table (topology data table) in which port numbers are associated with MAC addresses. In this figure, for example, when a packet A (including MAC address A) is received at port 1, port number 1 and MAC address A are stored in a table. And when the packet B (including the MAC address B) is further received at the port 1 having the same port number, this is stored in the table, and since the MAC addresses A and B are different, at least one When the relay device 20 is detected, a flag (a flag indicating that the relay device 20 exists) is set. Here, since the number of relay machines 20 is at least one, the topology data table is updated on the assumption that the number of relay machines is “one”.

  Generally, unlike an IP address, a MAC address does not include information on a source MAC address in an IP header portion of a packet, but based on the source IP address in a received IP header, an ARP ( The MAC address of the transmission source may be specified by performing address analysis with reference to the Address Resolution Protocol) table. Thus, since the router 50 acquires the device unique address by transmitting the ARP command, the router 50 can actively acquire the device unique address and detect the relay device 20.

  Next, steps S05 and S06 are repeated until a predetermined time has elapsed (step S07). For example, as shown in FIG. 4B, when a packet C including another MAC address C is received at port 1 at this predetermined time, the number of relays 20 arranged is increased by one more. Therefore, the topology data table is updated on the assumption that “1 or 2” of the number of relays 20 is detected.

  In other words, when the repeater 20 includes three or more ports, the number of repeaters 20 can be assumed to be “1”. However, when the repeater 20 is the hub 20-a, two hubs are provided. Since 20-a may be cascade-connected, the number of repeaters 20 is set to “1 or 2” in consideration of this case.

  The router 50 performs this process for all the LAN ports 57. As a result, for example, a topology data table as shown in FIG. 4C is generated. To explain this case, since only the packet D (including the MAC address D) and the packet E (including the MAC address E) are received for the port 2, the flag is set, and the number of arrangement of the repeaters 20 is “1”. It is. For port 3, since only packet F (including MAC address F) has been received, no flag is set.

  In step S07, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the flag (existence of the relay machine 20) and the number of relay machines 20 to be arranged are also determined. After the determination, the flag is set (not set) and the topology data (topology data table) indicating the assumed number of the relay devices 20 is transmitted to the support management server 100 (step S08).

  As described above, since the topology data is determined after the predetermined time has elapsed, the electronic device 10 has a poor timing, and even if the packet is not sent to the relay device 20, the topology data can be taken sufficiently long, so that the electronic device It is possible to avoid erroneous recognition that 10 is not connected and the repeater 20 is not present.

  When receiving the topology data, the support management server 100 stores the topology data in the home network management database 102 (step S09). At this time, topology data is stored for each home network ID. The home network ID is an ID for identifying the home network.

  The topology data includes the topology data table of FIG. 4C, but may include the electronic device / device-specific address correspondence table of FIG. The topology data refers to the topology data table and the electronic device / equipment unique address correspondence table, and as shown in FIG. 6, as the topology information in the home network 2, the connection configuration between the router 50 and the electronic device 10 and , Information indicating the presence of the repeater 20 and the number of placement of the repeaters 20 (implying). That is, according to this information, it is possible to roughly grasp the presence of the relay 20 and the number of arrangements (the number assumed to be arranged) up to each electronic device 10 and the router 50, In addition, the network connection topology of the electronic device 10 in the home network 2, the relay device 20, and the router 50 and the type of the connected electronic device 10 can be specified.

  When the number of relay machines 20 is “1 or 2”, the number of relay machines 20 to be arranged cannot be clearly determined. However, since it is possible to suggest the existence of the relay machine 20 and a plurality of possibilities, it is useful for remote support when managing the home network 2.

  The network topology shown in FIG. 6 will be specifically described in association with the topology data table of FIG. Since port number 1 receives C from MAC address A, the flag of relay 20 is set and the number of arrangement is one or two. Referring to the electronic device / device-specific address correspondence table, the electronic devices 10 having MAC addresses A to C are the telephone 10-a, the content reproduction / recording device 10-b, and the television 10-c. Therefore, it can be assumed that the telephone 10-a, the content reproduction / recording apparatus 10-b, and the television 10-c are connected via at least one relay 20 (relays A and B).

  Similarly, according to FIG. 4 (c), the port number 2 has the flag of the relay 20 standing according to the topology data table, and the number of arrangement is one. Referring to the electronic device / device-specific address correspondence table, the electronic devices 10 having the MAC addresses D and E are the personal computer 10-d and the digital camera 10-e. Therefore, it can be assumed that the personal computer 10-d and the digital camera 10-e are connected via one relay device 20 (relay device C).

  Similarly, according to FIG. 4 (c), the port number 3 has 0 arrangement number, and referring to the electronic device / device-specific address correspondence table, the electronic device 10 having the MAC address F is the refrigerator 10-f. It is. Therefore, it can be assumed that only the refrigerator 10-f is directly connected to the router 50.

  When the router 50 receives only one type of MAC address for one port, the number of relays 20 to be connected to the port is 0 in the actual network topology. Not exclusively. That is, when only one electronic device 10 is connected to the relay device 20 and no other electronic device 10 is connected, the number of arrangement is “0” even though the relay device 20 exists. Because.

[Support flow using topology data]
Based on FIG. 7, the remote support flow until the diagnostic process of the electronic device 10 using the topology data is executed will be described.

  The router 50 notifies the home network ID to the support terminal 200 at a predetermined timing (step S20). This notification may be performed after the support terminal 200 requests the router 50. The home network ID is an ID unique to the home network 2 and is an ID for identifying the home network 2 associated with the topology data.

  When receiving the home network ID, the support terminal 200 transmits the home network ID to the support management server 100 and requests topology data corresponding to the home network ID (step S21). The support management server 100 refers to the ID correspondence table based on the home network ID, searches the home network management database 102 (step S22), and transmits the corresponding topology data to the support terminal 200 (step S23).

  As shown in FIG. 8, an ID correspondence table is stored in the home network management database 102 of the support management server 100, and the home network ID, topology data ID, and user ID are stored in association with each other. Yes. The topology data ID is an ID associated with each piece of topology data shown in FIG. The user ID is a user ID of a user having this home network ID.

  Next, the support terminal 200 that has received the topology data executes a diagnostic program (step S24). Here, the support terminal 200 appropriately refers to the corresponding topology data while executing the diagnostic program (step S25). On the other hand, the electronic device 10 to be diagnosed performs a diagnosis process (step S26).

  The diagnostic program is accessed from the support terminal 200 to the electronic device 10, the network settings of the electronic device 10, hardware settings, settings of drivers, applications, modules, libraries, etc., normality (defect of each data, each program This is a program for confirming (defect). The electronic device 10 may execute a predetermined program in response to a request from the support terminal 200 as the diagnosis processing.

  When the diagnostic program ends, the support terminal 200 displays the diagnosis result on the support terminal 200 (step S27). At this time, the topology data corresponding to the home network ID may be graphically displayed on the support terminal 200 (see screen example 200A in FIG. 9).

  For example, based on FIG. 9, it is assumed that the support terminal 200 executes a “Ping” command to the electronic device A as one diagnostic method of the diagnostic program. In this case, if there is no response from the electronic device A in response to the “Ping” command, the diagnostic program refers to the topology data, and between the router 50 and the electronic device 10, If the flag indicating the presence of the repeater 20 is set, the message shown in FIG. 9 (for example, “Diagnosis result: There may be a repeater from the electronic device A to the router. Check the status of the repeater. Please display ") on the support terminal 200.

  Therefore, when the support terminal 200 executes the diagnostic program for the electronic device 10, the support terminal 200 refers to the topology data corresponding to the home network 2 in which the electronic device 10 exists and executes the diagnostic program. Therefore, according to this method, it is possible to execute the diagnosis by reflecting the existence of one relay device 20 at one port in the execution of the diagnostic program of the electronic device 10.

  If there are two or more repeaters, the message “There may be multiple repeaters. Check the status of each repeater” may be displayed.

  The significance of detecting a repeater in the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the electronic device 10 in the home network, a method of automatically detecting the type (product name, type name) of the electronic device by a home network management terminal such as a router has been developed for the device having the IP address. (For example, Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-243170). In this method, a plurality of protocols are used for the electronic device 10, a request packet is transmitted, and the type is determined by scoring based on the response.

  However, if the electronic device 10 does not have an IP address, the type cannot be determined even if a protocol of layer 3 or higher of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) reference model is transmitted in a request packet. Even the existence of the device cannot be recognized. Therefore, detecting the relay device 20 such as the hub 20-a and the wireless LAN access point 20-b processed in the layer 2 by the above method has an important significance for managing the home network 2.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the case where the device unique address is a MAC address has been described. In the second embodiment, the case where the device unique address is an IP address will be described. An embodiment for detecting the subrouter 20-c will be described.

  Even if the device unique address is an IP address, it is the same as the case of the MAC address. However, in the case of the IP address, since the IP address of the transmission source is included in the IP header, a predetermined packet is sent from the electronic device 10. Need not be analyzed, and it is not necessary to perform address analysis such as ARP. This is because information on the device-specific address of the transmission source can be acquired by referring to the transmission source address of the IP header.

  As described above, when the device unique address is an IP address, the router 50 does not actively transmit the ARP command as in the case of the MAC address, but the router 50 receives the IP address from the electronic device 10. If it is waiting for the transmission of the packet including it (so to speak, passively), the repeater 20 can be detected.

  In the case of an IP address with the same network topology configuration as in FIG. 4C, a topology data table as shown in FIG. 11 is generated. In this case, for port number 2, since only packet D (IP address D is included in the IP header) and packet E (IP address E is included in the IP header) are received, a flag is set and the relay 20 The number of arrangement is “1”. For port number 3, since only packet F (IP address F is included in the IP header) has been received, no flag is set. Thereby, a network topology similar to that of FIG. 6 is formed.

  Next, detection of the subrouter 20-c will be described with reference to FIG. If the device unique address is an IP address, the device unique address is separated into a network address part and a host address part. Therefore, when a packet is received at one port (port 2) from the electronic device 10-d having a network address portion different from the network address portion of the router 50, a flag indicating that the relay device 20 exists is set, and The relay 20 is flagged as a sub-router 20-c that enables communication even in different network segments.

  Therefore, the router 50 detects that the subrouter 20-c exists as the relay device 20 in one port (port number 2), and detects that the network segment is separated by the subrouter 20-c. it can. Information having different network segments can be referred to in the execution of the diagnostic program.

[Hardware Configuration of Support Management Server 100 and Support Terminal 200]
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of the support management server 100 and the support terminal 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The support management server 100 and the support terminal 200 may be standard computers, and an example of the configuration is shown below.

  The support management server 100 and the support terminal 200 include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1310 (a plurality of CPUs such as a CPU 1320 may be added in a multiprocessor configuration), a bus line 1200, a communication I / F ( (I / F: interface) 1330, main memory 1340, BIOS (Basic Input Output System) 1350, display device 1360, I / O controller 1370, input device 1380 such as keyboard and mouse, hard disk 1390, optical disk drive 1400, and semiconductor memory 1420. The hard disk 1390, the optical disk drive 1400, and the semiconductor memory 1420 are collectively referred to as a storage device 1430.

  The control unit 1300 is a part that comprehensively controls the support management server 100 and the support terminal 200, and cooperates with the hardware described above by appropriately reading and executing various programs stored in the hard disk 1390 (described later). In addition, various functions according to the present invention are realized.

  The communication I / F 1330 is a network adapter when information is transmitted / received via a network. The communication I / F 1330 may include a modem, a cable modem, and an Ethernet (registered trademark) adapter.

  The BIOS 1350 records a boot program executed by the CPU 1310 at startup, a hardware-dependent program, and the like.

  Display device 1360 includes a display device such as a cathode ray tube display device (CRT) or a liquid crystal display device (LCD).

  A storage device 1430 such as a hard disk 1390, an optical disk drive 1400, and a semiconductor memory 1420 can be connected to the I / O controller 1370.

  The input device 1380 receives input from the user.

  The hard disk 1390 stores various programs for causing the hardware to function, programs for executing the functions of the invention, and the tables and records described above. It should be noted that a hard disk (not shown) provided separately outside can also be used as an external storage device.

  As the optical disk drive 1400, for example, a DVD-ROM drive, a CD-ROM drive, a DVD-RAM drive, or a CD-RAM drive can be used. In this case, the optical disk 1410 corresponding to each drive is used. A program or data may be read from the optical disk 1410 by the optical disk drive 1400 and provided to the main memory 1340 or the hard disk 1390 via the I / O controller 1370.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment, and modifications, improvements, and the like within the scope that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Remote support system 10 Electronic device 20 Relay machine 50 Router 100 Support management server 200 Support terminal

Claims (5)

A network management device that is communicably connected to a support management server via a public line and connected to two or more electronic devices,
Monitoring means for monitoring a plurality of device-specific addresses received from the two or more electronic devices for one port of the network management device;
When the monitoring means receives the plurality of device unique addresses, flag starting means for setting a flag indicating that the one relay device exists;
A network management apparatus comprising: The network management device according to claim 1,
The monitoring means monitors that a device unique address having a different segment from the network management device is received from the electronic device for one port;
The flag activation unit sets a flag indicating that a router exists as the one relay device when the monitoring unit receives a device unique address having a different network address. Network management device. A network management device that is communicably connected to the support management server via a public line and connected to two or more electronic devices.
Monitoring means for monitoring a plurality of device-specific addresses received from the two or more electronic devices for one port of the network management device;
A flag activation means for setting a flag indicating that the one repeater exists, when the monitoring means receives the plurality of device-specific addresses;
A program characterized by functioning as A network management device connected to a support management server via a public line so as to be communicable and connected to two or more electronic devices,
A monitoring step of monitoring the reception of a plurality of device specific addresses from the two or more electronic devices for one port of the network management device;
In the monitoring step, when the plurality of device unique addresses are received, a flag starting step for setting a flag indicating that the one repeater exists;
A method comprising the steps of: A remote support system composed of a support management server, a network management device connected to two or more electronic devices, and a support terminal for supporting users,
The network management device is
Monitoring means for monitoring the reception of a plurality of device-specific addresses from the two or more electronic devices for one port;
When the monitoring means receives the plurality of device unique addresses, flag starting means for setting a flag indicating that the one relay device exists;
Transmission means for transmitting the topology data associated with the one port that the flag has been set to a support management server,
The support management server
Storage means for storing topology data received from the network management device;
A transmission means for transmitting the topology data to the support terminal when requested by the support terminal;
The support terminal is
A diagnostic execution means for referring to the topology data and executing the diagnostic program for the electronic device when executing the diagnostic program for the electronic device;
A remote support system comprising:

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