Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for determining the trust worthiness of executable packets, e.g., internet applets, being transmitted within a computer network. The computer network includes both secured computers and unsecured computers, which are associated with secured nodes and unsecured nodes, respectively. Each executable packet has a source address and a destination address. In one embodiment, an intelligent firewall determines within a first degree of certainty whether the source address of an executable packet arriving at one of the secured computers is associated with anyone of the secured nodes, and also determines within a second degree of certainty whether the destination address of the executable packet is associated with anyone of the secured nodes.

Abstract: A random number generator, useful in association with a computer system of a computer network, generates a randomly distributed back-off time interval between a collision and the retransmission of the packet, e.g. for Ethernet's collision sense multiple access/collision detect (CSMA/CD) protocol. The random number generator includes a data-based number generator, a timer-based number generator and a number combiner. The combiner is provided the output numbers from data-based and timer-based number generators, and in turn generates a random number. A user selectable initialization number is provided as a seed number for the data-based number generator. Subsequently, a cyclic redundency check (CRC) generator provides numbers for data-based number generator. A free-running timer provides numbers for the timer-based number generator. The user selectable initialization number is also provided as a seed number for the data-based and timer-base generators.