System and method for using energy efficient ethernet to control energy efficiencies in lower layers

A method, comprising:

• monitoring incoming traffic of a first device over a timeframe;
• transitioning, in response to determining the monitored traffic is under a threshold amount, at least part of the first device into a first energy saving state using an energy efficiency control policy of the first device in accordance with an energy efficiency control policy of the first device, the first device utilizing an Ethernet networking technology;
• generating, using the monitored traffic and the first energy saving state, an energy efficiency control signal in response to transitioning the first device into the first energy saving state;
• transmitting the energy efficiency control signal from the first device to a second device utilizing a second networking technology different from the Ethernet networking technology, wherein operation of energy-efficiency functions of the second device is controlled at least in part by the energy efficiency control policy;
• and
• transitioning, using the energy efficiency control signal, the second device into a second energy saving state by controlling at least one feature of the energy efficiency functions of the second device using the energy efficiency control signal received from the first device.