Abstract: In a system, called an application manager, portable devices can be connected in various kinds of local area networks (LANs). In the portable devices, local browsers are run to find services by listening in the local area network to messages broadcast from a local information server through some base unit. The local information server registers local services and provides, on automatic requests from the local browsers, address information of the local services. The address information is used by a local browser to obtain, through the Internet, general information of the services from an HTTP server, that contains information of applications, such as graphical information including icon files and short descriptions of the applications. After receiving the general information symbols of available services, it is then shown on the display of the portable device.

Abstract: In a network including access points, via which communication units can connect to the network, wherein each of the access points belongs to a zone, a method comprising the steps of assigning a message type to each of the zones in the network; receiving from the communication unit a query message for each zone, where the query message for each zone is of the message type assigned to that zone; filtering the query messages at an access point, via which the communication unit is connected to the network, so that only the query message of the message type, which is assigned to the zone to which the access point belongs, is allowed to pass through; and determining the zone, to which the access point belongs, depending on the query message allowed to pass through in the step of filtering.