Distributed network repeater system

• US 6,600,727 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1999
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mackay, Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, CHUONG T
• Application Number:
  US09/321,066
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 370/276, 370/279, 370/289, 370/293, 370/296, 370/501, 370/236, 178/70.R, 379/344, 455/15, 455/16
• US Class Current: 370/293
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/60 Systems for communication between relatively movable stations, e.g. for communication with lift H04B3/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/955 including electronic identifier or coding means

Abstract

A repeater, useable for connecting switches in a data communication network, is provided in a distributed and/or modular fashion. The repeater includes a plurality of separate and distinct components or modules connected to or at least partially housed in, the various switches which the repeater modules couple. Preferably, the repeater autodetects and/or autoconfigures some or all aspects of repeater operations, such as detecting and/or configuring appropriate full/half-duplex mode operation or detecting and/or configuring in response to appropriate or approved cable-type connections. The distributed and/or modular repeater facilitates accommodating various switching or repeater needs as a network grows or contracts.

Claims

1. A method for selecting between half-duplex and full duplex communication comprising:

providing a multi-module distributed network repeater, each module having two ports for cable connections;

determining for each port of at least one of said plurality of modules, whether each port is coupled to a port of another module of said multi-module distributed network repeater; and

setting all modules of said multi-module distributed network repeater to half-duplex mode unless no module of said multi-module distributed repeater has each of said two ports coupled to a port of other modules of said multi-module distributed network repeater.

2. A method, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

automatically setting all modules to full duplex mode if all modules have exactly one port coupled to a port of another module, substantially without the need for operator manipulation.

3. A method, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

communicating, from at least one module to at least one other module, the current full/half-duplex setting of said at least one module.

4. A method, as claimed in claim 3, further comprising, receiving, in at least a first receiver module of said plurality of modules, information indicative of the duplex setting of a connected module and, if said duplex setting of said connected module is not full duplex, setting said receiving module to half-duplex mode.

5. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

at least of one of said step of determining and said step of setting is initiated in response to at least one of a power up operation, an addition of a cable connector or a deleting of a cable connector.

6. Apparatus for selecting between half-duplex and full duplex communication, comprising:

a multi-module distributed network repeater, each module having two ports for cable connections;

circuitry which determines, for each port of at least one of said plurality of modules, whether each port is coupled to a port of another module of said multi-module distributed network repeater; and

circuitry which sets all modules of said multi-module distributed network repeater to half-duplex mode unless no module of said multi-module distributed repeater has each of said two ports coupled to a port of other modules of said multi-module distributed network repeater.

7. Apparatus for selecting between half-duplex and full duplex communication, comprising:

multi-module distributed network repeater means, including a plurality of module means, each module means having two ports for cable connections;

means for determining for each port of at least one of said plurality of modules, whether each port is coupled to a port of another module of said multi-module distributed network repeater; and

means for setting all modules of said multi-module distributed network repeater to half-duplex mode unless no module of said multi-module distributed repeater has each of said two ports coupled to a port of other modules of said multi-module distributed network repeater.