System for ISDN terminal adapter DCE for automatically negotiating data compression with it's PPP peer when DTE is unable or unwilling to negotiate compression

For use in apparatus for interfacing a serially communicative device to a communications channel, wherein the device generates serial data for carriage over the channel, the apparatus having a processor, a memory, connected to the processor, for storing executable instructions therein, and serial communications circuitry, connected to the processor, for coupling the device to a communications channel and for transporting the serial data therebetween such that the device can serially communicate with a peer device connected to the channel, a method comprising the steps of, in the processor:

• monitoring negotiations of a compression control protocol, carried over the channel and occurring between the serially communicative device and the peer device to determine, as reflected in the negotiations, whether the serially communicative device will provide compression of the serial data;
• intercepting a message, from the serially communicative device and intended for the peer device, indicating that the serially communicative device will not provide the compression, or generating an event after a predefined interval of time elapses, after network control protocol negotiations between the serially communicative device and the peer device have commenced, without the compression control protocol negotiations having been concluded;
• in response to either the intercepted message or the event, successfully completing the negotiations of the compression control protocol with the peer device;
• and
• providing, in response to the completed negotiations, data compression and decompression as specified by the compression control protocol but in lieu of compression and decompression otherwise provided by the serially communicative device, such that non-compressed serial data, provided by the serially communicative device and destined for the peer device, is compressed by the apparatus and then transmitted, in compressed form, over the channel to the peer device and compressed serial data, appearing on the channel and provided by the peer device and destined for the serially communicative device, is decompressed by the apparatus and then provided in decompressed form to the serially communicative device.