In accordance with a non-limiting example, a communications method and system locates a network device that has been misconfigured by propagating within the same broadcast domain of an Ethernet communications network to which the network device is connected a discovery protocol frame and determining the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the remote device. A remote console terminal is connected for communications to the Ethernet communications network to the network device after discovering the network device. The remote console terminal communicates with the network device using Ethernet packets and configures correctly the network device such as by configuring a correct internet protocol (IP) address of the remote device.