System and method for changing subnet masks for altering routing of messages between terminals in the same local area network

摘要

An intra-edge routing-less IP communication device and communication method using the same, in a multi-subnet edge network on a single LAN segment in which there are a plurality of premises hosts some of which originally belong to subnets different from those of the others. The communication device comprises a DHCP proxy server for changing an IP configuration information including a subnet mask contained in a DHCP response message provided from an original DHCP server, thereby making the plurality of GIP hosts and LIP hosts believe that they belong to the same subnet, and a subnet-aware ARP proxy server, which is capable of being aware of true subnets of the plurality of client premises hosts and of the MAC addresses of the default gateways thereof, for virtually recovering the true subnets when the plurality of client premises hosts broadcast ARP Request for a remote host misunderstood to exist in the same subnets owing to the changed subnet mask, by giving the MAC address of the default gateway corresponding to one of the plurality of client premises source hosts.