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

1. A method performed by a computer having a processor and a memory for determining a transmission method for a network communication, the method comprising:

generating a first random number;

transmitting from a client at least one packet containing the first random number to a server via a unicast transmission method, the client being of a first network and the server being of a second network, the first network and the second network being connected via a router;

when it is determined that the client is configured to insist on the unicast transmission method, with a processor, configuring the client for communication with the server in accordance with the unicast transmission method and when it is determined that a response to the packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is not received at the client, notifying a user; and

when it is determined that the client is not configured to insist on the unicast transmission method,

generating a second random number,

transmitting from the client at least one packet to the server via a multicast transmission method, the at least one packet containing the second random number,

when it is determined that a response to the packet containing the second random number sent via the multicast transmission method is received at the client, indicating that the router supports the multicast transmission method, with a processor, configuring the client for communication with the server in accordance with the multicast transmission method of the client, and

when it is determined that a response to the packet containing the second random number sent via the multicast transmission method is not received at the client, indicating that the router does not support the multicast transmission method,

when it is determined that the client is not configured to insist on the multicast transmission method, with a processor, configuring the client for communication with the sever in accordance with the unicast transmission method and when it is determined that a response to the packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is not received at the client, notifying a user, and

when it is determined that the client is configured to insist on the multicast transmission method,

notifying the user,

when it is determined that a response to the packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is received at the client, with a processor, configuring the client for communication with the server in accordance with the multicast transmission method of the client using an address from the received response, and

when it is determined that a response to the packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is not received at the client, with a processor, configuring the client for communication with the server in accordance with the multicast transmission method of the client using an address of the client.

2. A computer-readable storage medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer having a memory and a processor, cause the computer to:

generate a first random number;

transmit at least one packet containing the first random number to a host via a unicast transmission method, the computer being of a first network and the host being of a second network, the first network and the second network being connected via a router;

when it is determined that the unicast transmission method is to be used, with a processor, configure for communication with the host in accordance with the unicast transmission method when it is determined that a response packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is received from the host, configure for communication with the host in accordance with the unicast transmission method and when it is determined that a response packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is not received from the host, notify a user; and

when it is determined that the unicast transmission method need not be used,

generate a second random number,

transmit at least one packet containing the second random number to the host via a multicast transmission method,

when it is determined that a response packet containing the second random number sent via the multicast transmission method is received from the host, indicate that the router supports the multicast transmission method and, with a processor, configure for communication with the host in accordance with the multicast transmission method, and

when it is determined that a response packet containing the second random number sent via the multicast transmission method is not received from the host, indicate that the router does not support the multicast method,

when it is determined that the multicast transmission method is to be used,

notify the user,

when it is determined that a response to the packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is received from the host, with a processor, configure for communication with the host in accordance with the multicast transmission method using an address from the received response, and

when it is determined that a response to the packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is not received from the host, with a processor, configure for communication with the host in accordance with the multicast transmission method using an address of the computer, and

when it is determined that the multicast transmission method need not be used, with a processor, configure for communication with the host in accordance with the unicast transmission method and when it is determined that a response to the packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is not received from the host, notifying a user.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 further comprising contents that cause the computer to, responsive to determining that a response packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is not received from the host, configure for communication with the host in accordance with the unicast transmission method using an IP address of the computer.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 further comprising contents that cause the computer to, responsive to determining that a response packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is not received from the host, configure for communication with the host in accordance with the multicast transmission method using an IP address of the computer.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the configuration in accordance with the unicast transmission method includes using an address from a response packet to one of the at least one packet received from the host and containing the first random number transmitted to the host via the unicast transmission method.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the configuration in accordance with the unicast transmission method includes using one of the computer's own IP addresses.

7. A computing system having a memory and a processor for determining a transmission method for a network communication, comprising:

a processor;

a component that generates a first random number;

a component that transmits at least one packet containing the first random number to a host via a unicast transmission method, the computing system being of a first network and the host being of a second network, the first network and the second network being connected via a router;

a component that, when it is determined that the unicast transmission method is to be used, configures the computing system for communication with the host in accordance with the unicast transmission method and when it is determined that a response packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is not received from the host, notifies a user; and

a component that, when it is determined that the unicast transmission method need not be used,

generates a second random number,

transmits at least one packet containing the second random number to the host via a multicast transmission method,

when it is determined that a response packet containing the second random number sent via the multicast transmission method is received from the host, indicates that the router supports the multicast transmission method and configures the computing system for communication with the host in accordance with the multicast transmission method, and

when it is determined that a response packet containing the second random number sent via the multicast transmission method is not received from the host, indicates that the router does not support the multicast transmission method,

when it is determined that the multicast transmission method is to be used,

notifies the user,

when it is determined that a response to the packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is received from the host, configures the computing system for communication with the host in accordance with the multicast transmission method using an address from the received response, and

when it is determined that a response to the packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is not received from the host, configures the computing system for communication with the host in accordance with the multicast transmission method using an address of the computing system, and

when it is determined that the multicast transmission method need not be used, configures the computing system for communication with the host in accordance with the unicast transmission method and when it is determined that a response to the packet containing the first random number sent via the unicast transmission method is not received from the host, notifies a user

wherein the components comprise computer-executable instructions stored in memory for execution by the processor.