Method and apparatus for automatically determining an appropriate transmission method in a network

1. A method for automatically sensing a transmission method in a network, the method comprising:

transmitting at least one packet to a first host via a first transmission method;

receiving from the first host a response packet to the packet transmitted via the first transmission method;

determining whether the first transmission method must be used;

if the first transmission method must be used, configuring for communications with the first host using the first transmission method using an address from the response packet in accordance with the first transmission method;

if the first transmission method must not be used,

transmitting at least one packet to the first host via a second transmission method;

determining whether a response packet to the packet was received from the first host using the second transmission method;

if a response from the first host using the second transmission method was received, configuring for communication with the first host using the second transmission method using an address from the response packet in accordance with the second transmission method; and

if a response packet from the first host using the second transmission method was not received, configuring for communications with the first host using the second transmission method using an address from the response packet in accordance with the first transmission method.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring further includes configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method provided no response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving further includes configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the second transmission method provided a response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein no response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the response to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method comprises an address.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein configuring further includes configuring for communication with the first host using the address from the response.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received from the first host.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the response comprises an address.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein configuring further comprises configuring for communication with the first host using the address from the response.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication in accordance with the second transmission method.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method, provided a response to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method is received.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first transmission method is the unicast transmission method.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second transmission method is the multicast transmission method.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting at least one packet to a first host via a first transmission method further includes transmitting a predetermined number of packets to the first host via the first transmission method, until a successful response is received from the first host.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting at least one packet to a first host via a second transmission method further includes transmitting a predetermined number of packets to the first host via the second transmission method, until a successful response is received from the first host.

21. A method for automatically sensing a transmission method in a network comprising a plurality of hosts, the method comprising:

transmitting by a first host at least one packet to a second host via a first transmission method;

receiving from the second host a response packet to the at least one packet transmitted via the first transmission method;

determining whether the first transmission method must be used;

if the first transmission method must be used, configuring the first host for communications with the second host in accordance with the first transmission method using an address from the response packet in accordance with the first transmission method;

if the first transmission method must not be used,

transmitting by a first host at least one packet to a second host via a second transmission method;

determining whether a response packet to the at least one packet transmitted via the second transmission method was received;

if a response packet received, configuring the first host for communication with the second host in accordance with the second transmission method using the address from the response packet from the second host; and

if a response packet was not received, configuring the first host for communication with the second host in accordance with the second transmission method using an address from the response packet from the second host via the first transmission method.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein configuring further includes configuring the first host for communication with the second host in accordance with the first transmission method provided no response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein configuring comprises configuring the first host for communication with the second host in accordance with the first transmission method.

26. The method of claim 24 , wherein configuring further comprises configuring the first host for communication with the second host using an available address.

27. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first transmission method is the unicast transmission method.

28. The method of claim 21 , wherein the second transmission method is the multicast transmission method.

29. A method for automatically sensing a transmission method in a network, the method comprising:

transmitting at least one first packet to a first host in accordance with a first transmission method;

receiving from the first host, a second packet transmitted via a second transmission method,

wherein the second packet received from the first host contains an address;

responsive to determining that the second transmission method is not to be used, configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method using the address contained in the second packet received from the first host.

30. A computer readable medium containing instructions for automatically sensing a transmission method in a network, the method comprising:

transmitting at least one packet to a first host via a first transmission method;

receiving from the first host a response packet to the packet transmitted via the first transmission method;

determining whether the first transmission method must be used;

if the first transmission method must be used, configuring for communications with the first host using the first transmission method using an address from the response packet in accordance with the first transmission method;

if the first transmission method must not be used,

transmitting at least one packet to the first host via a second transmission method;

determining whether a response packet to the packet was received from the first host using the second transmission method;

if a response packet from the first host using the second transmission method was received, configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the second transmission method using an address from the response packet; and

if a response packet from the first host using the second transmission method was not received, configuring for communications with the first host using the second transmission method using an address from the response packet in accordance with the first transmission method.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 30 , wherein configuring further includes configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method provided no response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 30 , wherein receiving further includes configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the second transmission method provided a response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 30 , wherein no response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 33 , wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 34 , wherein the response to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method comprises an address.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 35 , wherein configuring further includes configuring for communication with the first host using the address from the response.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 30 , wherein a response to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method is received from the first host.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37 , wherein the response comprises an address.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38 , wherein configuring further comprises configuring for communication with the first host using the address from the response.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 37 , wherein no response to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method is received.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 40 , wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication in accordance with the second transmission method.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 30 , wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 42 , wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method, provided a response to a packet transmitted via the first transmission method is received.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 42 , wherein no response is received to a packet transmitted via the second transmission method.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 44 , wherein configuring comprises configuring for communication with the first host in accordance with the first transmission method.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 30 , wherein the first transmission method is the unicast transmission method.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 30 , wherein the second transmission method is the multicast transmission method.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 30 , wherein transmitting at least one packet via a first transmission method, further includes transmitting a predetermined number of packets to a first host via a first transmission method, until a successful response is received from the first host.

49. The computer readable medium of claim 30 , wherein transmitting at least one packet to the first host via a second transmission method further includes transmitting a predetermined number of packets to the first host via the second transmission method, until a successful response is received from the first host.