Arrangement in a network repeater for monitoring link integrity by monitoring symbol errors across multiple detection intervals
First Claim
1. A method in a network repeater, comprising:
- establishing a link with a remote network node at a prescribed data rate via a network medium; and
determining an integrity of the link by;
(1) counting in a first counter a detected number of symbol errors within a first interval, (2) incrementing a second counter if the detected number of symbol errors exceeds a first threshold within the first interval, and (3) determining if the second counter reaches a second threshold within a second interval including a successive plurality of the first intervals, the link integrity based on the second counter reaching the second threshold within the second interval.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A network repeater having a plurality of repeater ports selectively establishes links with remote nodes at one of two data rates based on the capabilities of the remote network node and a determined link integrity. A network repeater establishes a link with a network node using auto-negotiation techniques to establish a 100 Mb/s link. The network repeater than monitors the link for symbol errors, and determines an integrity of the link based on a detected number of symbol errors relative to a prescribed threshold in a dual-counter configuration. If the detected number of symbol errors counted by the first counter reaches a first threshold within a first number of received symbols, the second counter is incremented and the first counter reset. If over a second, longer interval the second counter reaches a second threshold, indicating repeated symbol errors over a greater distribution of received symbols, the network repeater performs a down shifting operation by breaking the established 100 Mb/s link, and restarting auto-negotiation to establish a 10 Mb/s link. Hence, the network repeater may monitor high-speed links for link integrity, and selectively downshift a link encountering a substantial number of errors to a reduced data rate, without a necessity of a network manager or other remote management agent.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A method in a network repeater, comprising:
-
establishing a link with a remote network node at a prescribed data rate via a network medium; and
determining an integrity of the link by;
(1) counting in a first counter a detected number of symbol errors within a first interval, (2) incrementing a second counter if the detected number of symbol errors exceeds a first threshold within the first interval, and (3) determining if the second counter reaches a second threshold within a second interval including a successive plurality of the first intervals, the link integrity based on the second counter reaching the second threshold within the second interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A network repeater having a plurality of repeater ports configured for sending and receiving data packets between remote network nodes via respective network media, the network repeater comprising:
-
a first repeater core configured for sending and receiving data packets between a first group of the repeater ports according to a first data rate;
a second repeater core configured for sending and receiving data packets between a second group of the repeater ports according to a second data rate slower than the first data rate;
an auto-negotiation unit configured for selecting one of the first and second data rates for establishment of links between the repeater ports and the respective remote network nodes via the respective network media;
a symbol error detector for detecting a number of symbol errors on at least one of the links operating at the first data rate, the symbol error detector comprising;
(1) a first counter for counting a detected number of symbol errors within a first interval, and (2) a second counter for counting, within a second interval larger than the first interval, a number of the first intervals having the detected number of symbol errors exceeding a first prescribed threshold; and
a controller for detecting an integrity of the at least one link based on the counter value of the second counter reaching a second threshold within the second interval. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
-
Specification