Abstract: A network device is arranged for coupling to a first network segment (18) to a second network segment (17), and has a transfer unit (23) for transferring data packets between the first and second network segments. The device has a determining unit (24) for determining a service requirement for a received data packet for accommodating the service requirement in the second network segment. A source of the received data packet in the first network segment is detected. Based on priority criteria and content type criteria a type of service is tagged to the data packet in dependence of the source. The transfer unit is arranged for accommodating the type of service in the second network segment. Advantageously a bridge is formed for transferring data packets that are unaware of quality of service to a network segment that operates according to quality of service requirements.

Abstract: A network device is arranged for coupling to a first network segment (18) to a second network segment (17), and has a transfer unit (23) for transferring data packets between the first and second network segments. The device has a determining unit (24) for determining a service requirement for a received data packet for accommodating the service requirement in the second network segment. A source of the received data packet in the first network segment is detected. Based on priority criteria and content type criteria a type of service is tagged to the data packet in dependence of the source. The transfer unit is arranged for accommodating the type of service in the second network segment. Advantageously a bridge is formed for transferring data packets that are unaware of quality of service to a network segment that operates according to quality of service requirements.

Abstract: Electronic content information is being catered via a data network. A consumer is enabled to request delivery via the network of a specific piece of content before a deadline selectable by the consumer. The catering service then completes the delivery before the deadline under control of a bandwidth profile of data traffic on at least a segment of the network. The scheduling of delivery deadlines enables the service to optimize usage of the network's bandwidth while maintaining a quality of service.

Abstract: The scope of discovery protocols on network domains of devices and services is extended. A search message or an announcement message on a multicast channel in one domain gets encapsulated into a unicast message that is sent to a second domain. The multicast message is extracted from the unicast message in the second domain and is input to the second domain's multicast channel.