Network device including detection of link status employing auto-negotiation
Assignee3Com Corporation
InventorsPatrick Gibson, Neil J MacDonald, Alan R Poulter, David J Law
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A network device 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.
Claims10
A method for determining the status of a link extending from a port of a network device, said method comprising:
- 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;
- and
- 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.
A method for determining the status of an optical fibre link extending from a port of a network device, said method comprising:
- initiating for said port an auto-negotiation process in accordance with IEEE Standard 802.3 including the sending of Next Pates 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;
- and
- 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.
Apparatus for determining the status of a link extending from a port of a network device, said apparatus comprising:
- means for initiating for said port an auto-negotiation process including the sending of Next Pages having unformatted code fields;
- means for transmitting from said port within said fields of said Next Pages a specific identification of said network device;
- means for monitoring signals received by the port for the presence of Next Pages including said specific identification;
- and
- means for 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.
Apparatus for determining the status of an optical fibre link extending from a port of a network device, said apparatus comprising:
- means for initiating for said port an auto-negotiation process in accordance with IEEE Standard 802.3 including the sending of Next Pates having unformatted code fields;
- means for transmitting from said port within said fields of said Next Pages a specific identification of said network device;
- means for monitoring signals received by the port for the presence of Next Pages including said specific identification;
- and
- means for 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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.