Systems and methods for waking a network interface device in a low power mode

A method for waking a physical layer of a first node in a low power mode, the first node being in a network comprising at least the first node and a second node in an awake mode, the first and second nodes having transceivers coupled via substantially fixed communication pathways, the method comprising:

• obtaining, at a transceiver of the second node, a signal designed to be transmitted at a pre-defined symbol rate;
• reducing, at the transceiver of the second node, the pre-defined symbol rate to a second transmission symbol rate lower than the pre-defined symbol rate;
• transmitting, from the transceiver of the second node to the physical layer of the first node, the signal at the reduced second transmission symbol rate for a predetermined duration of time, wherein the transmitted signal is configured to transition the first node from the low power mode to an awake state;
• and
• stopping the transmission of the signal at the end of the predetermined duration of time.