Abstract: A network device (100, 300) is connected to a network (102) having also a management station (107) connected thereto. The method for configuring the network device comprises the steps of transmitting from the management station a configuration packet to the network device (201), authenticating at the network device the management station as the genuine transmitter of the configuration packet (202) and decoding the configuration parameters contained in said configuration packet and storing them as the configuration parameters of the network device (203).