System and method for providing network access in the event of a computer system failure

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a computer system and method involving a microchip configured to provide network access. In particular, the microchip is configured to provide network access when a computer system experiences a failure that prevents the computer system from initializing a network interface or loading an operating system that allows a computer user to access Internet. The microchip includes a non-volatile memory storing a computer program that is different from BIOS. The microchip is configured to initialize a network interface and connect the computer system to a communications network provided by the network interface without loading an operating system. The failure may occur in a boot process or other process in a start-up procedure. The microchip may be configured to perform the initialization and connection when the failure occurs in any process of the start-up procedure.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.