Communication apparatus, program and method

1. A communication apparatus capable of communicating with a user terminal and another communication apparatus, comprising:

a storage unit to store a first VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) list indicating a plurality of VLANs enabling the communication apparatus to communicate with the user terminal;

a receiving unit to receive a second VLAN list indicating a plurality of VLANs enabling the another communication apparatus to communicate with the user terminal and being usable by the user terminal from the another communication apparatus by using a first authentication protocol;

an operation unit to create a transmission-use VLAN list including VLAN identifiers for identifying a plurality of VLANs, each of which is included in both of the first VLAN list and the second VLAN list, and VLAN names of the plurality of VLANs identified by the VLAN identifiers; and

a transmission unit to transmit the transmission-use VLAN list including the VLAN identifiers for identifying the plurality of VLANs available for the user terminal and the VLAN names to the user terminal to let a user of the user terminal select a desired VLAN from the plurality of VLANs identified by the VLAN identifiers included in the transmission-use VLAN list.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission unit transmits the transmission-use VLAN list by using a second authentication protocol different from the first authentication protocol.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second authentication protocol is an EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol).

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first authentication protocol is a RADIUS protocol.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmission request unit to request transmission of the second VLAN list to the another communication apparatus.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the communication apparatus is an authentication switch, and the another communication apparatus is an authentication server.

7. A computer readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by a computer therein for causing the computer to perform communication operations with a user terminal and another communication apparatus, the communication operations comprising:

storing a first VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) list indicating a plurality of VLANs enabling the computer to communicate with the user terminal;

receiving a second VLAN list indicating a plurality of VLANs enabling the another communication apparatus to communicate with the user terminal and being usable by the user terminal from the another communication apparatus by using a first authentication protocol;

creating a transmission-use VLAN list including VLAN identifiers for identifying a plurality of VLANs, each of which is included in both of the first VLAN list and the second VLAN list, and VLAN names of the plurality of VLANs identified by the VLAN identifiers; and

transmitting the transmission-use VLAN list including the VLAN identifiers for identifying the plurality of VLANs available for the user terminal and the VLAN names to the user terminal to let a user of the user terminal select a desired VLAN from the plurality of VLANs identified by the VLAN identifiers included in the transmission-use VLAN list.

8. The computer readable storage medium storing the program therein for causing the computer to perform the communication operations according to claim 7 , wherein the transmission-use VLAN list is transmitted by using a second authentication protocol different from the first authentication protocol.

9. The computer readable storage medium storing the program therein for causing the computer to perform the communication operations according to claim 8 , wherein the second authentication protocol is an EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol).

10. The computer readable storage medium storing the program therein for causing the computer to perform the communication operations according to claim 7 , wherein the first authentication protocol is a RADIUS protocol.

11. The computer readable storage medium storing the program therein for causing the computer to perform the communication operations according to claim 7 , further comprising requesting transmission of the second VLAN list to the another communication apparatus.

12. A communication method executed by a communication apparatus including a storage unit, comprising:

storing a first VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) list indicating a plurality of VLANs enabling the communication apparatus to communicate with a user terminal in the storage unit;

receiving a second VLAN list indicating a plurality of VLANs enabling another communication apparatus to communicate with the user terminal and being usable by the user terminal from the another communication apparatus by using a first authentication protocol;

creating a transmission-use VLAN list including VLAN identifiers for identifying a plurality of VLANs, each of which is included in both of the first VLAN list and the second VLAN list, and VLAN names of the plurality of VLANs identified by the VLAN identifiers; and

transmitting the transmission-use VLAN list including the VLAN identifiers for identifying the plurality of VLANs available for the user terminal and the VLAN names to the user terminal to let a user of the user terminal select a desired VLAN from the plurality of VLANs identified by the VLAN identifiers included in the transmission-use VLAN list.

13. The communication method according to claim 12 , wherein the transmission-use VLAN list is transmitted by using a second authentication protocol different from the first authentication protocol.

14. The communication method according to claim 13 , wherein the second authentication protocol is an EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol).

15. The communication method according to claim 12 , wherein the first authentication protocol is a RADIUS protocol.

16. The communication method according to claim 12 , further comprising requesting transmission of the second VLAN list to the another communication apparatus.