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Re: Ethernet with no IP address



Eric Barnes schreef op wo 10-07-2013 om 09:21 [-0500]:
> Man - thanks so much for all the answers so quickly.  Without going
> into boring detail....I have a client that has a patent on a network
> security device that he now wants me to build a prototype for.  Part
> of the patent states that the device is 'invisible' to the Internet
> because it has no configured IP ports.  It is supposed to sit INLINE
> in the network somewhere (say between router and single PC) and
> filter/block packets that come through it to the destination PC or
> vica-versa.  It's kinda like a bridge (only with logic processing
> during the bridge operation).  If we address the ports, then I depart
> from the patent and I have no idea what is allowed from a legal
> standpoint in doing something like this.  As a high level application
> programmer (mostly Java for the past 15 years), I find myself woefully
> short on the knowledge/experience to accomplish such a task.
> 
>  
> 
> But again - thanks all for the responses!

You're saying he has a patent for OpenBSD Bridging Firewall and/or Linux
Netfilter functionality? Interesting to say at least. I even suspect it
would cover IBM/Intel Tokenring Bridges as well. Then again I'm not a
lawyer luckily and/or on your end of the table.

If he wants to sell it as an appliance without source code, then OpenBSD
may be a better path to follow due to the nature of the BSD and GPL
licenses. Otherwise he/you may go the path of D-Link/AVM/SUN when SFLC
finds out what your client is doing. You may want to get some legal
advise and SFLC is in most cases willing to answer your questions btw.

Hans

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