Network device including detection of link status employing auto-negotiation
Assignee3Com Corporation
InventorsPatrick Gibson, Neil J. MacDonald, Alan R. Poulter, David J. Law
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Abstract
A network device which is arranged to transmit a specific identification such as the device's MAC address in Next Pages of auto-negotiation and to determine a link status to be ‘down’ if ‘Next Pages’ containing that address are received by the same port The invention avoids the use of signal detect pins for fiber optic links
Claims8
1 A network device including
- at least one port for the transmission and reception of data signals. and
- means for performing an auto-negotiation process including the transmission of Next Pages having unformatted code fields from said port.
- wherein said network device further includes means for causing said Next Pages to include in said fields a specific identification of said device and means for detecting said identification in signals received by said port during the auto-negotiation process
2 A network device according to claim 1 wherein said specific indication corresponds to a MAC address of the device
3 A network device according to claim 1 wherein the port is disposed for transmission and reception of signals over a fibre optic link
4 A network device including
- at least one port for the transmission and reception of Ethernet data packets:
- means coupled to said for performing an auto-negotiation process in accordance with IEEE Standard 802 3. said process including the transmission of Next Pages having unformatted code fields from said port. and
- wherein said network device further includes means for causing said Next Pages to include in said fields a specific identification of said device and means for detecting said identification in signals received by said port during the auto-negotiation process
5 A network device according to claim 4 wherein said specific indication corresponds to a MAC address of the device
6 A method for determining the status of a link extending from a port of a network device. comprising the steps of
- initiating for said port an auto-negotiation process including the sending of Next Pages having unformatted code fields.
- transmitting from said port within said fields of said Next Pages a specific identification of said network device.
- monitoring signals received by the port for the presence of Next Pages including said specific identification.
- determining the status of the link to be ‘down’ in the event of reception by said port of said Next Pages which include said specific identification
7 A method for determining the status an optical fibre link extending from a port of a network device. comprising the steps of
- initiating for said port an auto-negotiation process in accordance with IEEE Standard 802 3. including the sending of Next Pages having unformatted code fields.
- transmitting from said port within said fields of said Next Pages a specific identification of said network device
- monitoring signals received by the port for the presence of Next Pages including said specific identification.
- determining the status of the link to be ‘down’ in the event of reception by said port of said Next Pages which include said specific identification
8 A method according to claim 7 wherein said specific identification corresponds to a MAC address