Abstract: A method of dynamically configuring and monitoring every host connected to a gateway device, where at least one initiating host and one receiving host is at least connected to the gateway device in a computing network environment. All information about all connected hosts and their addresses are first determined and stored in a port-sharing table in a memory location accessible to the gateway device. The availability of each host connection is monitored and checked at preselected intervals and if any host becomes unavailable, a change in status is made in the portsharing table. When a special IP address command is issued for a particular initiating host, such as a SET IP address command, all IP datagrams for that particular host is received and in turn compared to the entries in the portsharing table.