Arrangement in a network repeater for monitoring link integrity and automatically down shifting link speed
First Claim
1. A method in a network repeater of controlling transmissions, the method comprising:
- establishing a link with a remote network node at a prescribed data rate via a network medium;
monitoring the link by counting a detected number of symbol errors and decrementing a counter in response to detecting one of the symbol errors; and
determining an integrity of the link based on the detected number of symbol errors relative to a prescribed threshold.
8 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 then 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. If the detected number of symbol errors reaches the prescribed threshold, indicating poor link integrity due to poor cable connection or condition, faulty network device, etc., 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 function.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method in a network repeater of controlling transmissions, the method comprising:
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establishing a link with a remote network node at a prescribed data rate via a network medium; monitoring the link by counting a detected number of symbol errors and decrementing a counter in response to detecting one of the symbol errors; and determining an integrity of the link based on the detected number of symbol errors relative to a prescribed threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method in a network repeater of controlling transmissions, the method comprising:
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establishing a link with a remote network node at a prescribed data rate via a network medium; monitoring the link by counting a detected number of symbol errors; determining an integrity of the link based on the detected number of symbol errors relative to a prescribed threshold; and selecting the prescribed threshold from a plurality of thresholds.
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5. A method in a network repeater of controlling transmissions, the method comprising:
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establishing a link with a remote network node at a prescribed data rate via a network medium; monitoring the link by counting a detected number of symbol errors; determining an integrity of the link based on the detected number of symbol errors relative to a prescribed threshold; and supplying the prescribed threshold to the network repeater via a serial interface.
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6. A method in a network repeater of controlling transmissions, the method comprising:
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establishing a link with a remote network node at a prescribed data rate via a network medium; monitoring the link by counting a detected number of symbol errors; determining an integrity of the link based on the detected number of symbol errors relative to a prescribed threshold; and selectively reducing the data rate on the network medium to a reduced data rate in response to the detected number of symbol errors exceeding the prescribed threshold. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A method in a network repeater of controlling transmissions, the method comprising:
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establishing a link with a remote network node at a prescribed data rate via a network medium; monitoring the link by counting a detected number of symbol errors; and determining an integrity of the link based on the detected number of symbol errors relative to a prescribed threshold, wherein the determining step includes; decrementing a timer from a prescribed time interval; decrementing a first counter initially set at a first threshold in response to a detected symbol error; and determining, in response to the timer reaching zero, whether the first counter has a zero value, the integrity determined based on the first counter having the zero value coincident with the timer reaching zero.
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10. 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:
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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; to negotiation unit respective network media; a symbol error detector for detecting a number of symbol errors relative to a prescribed time interval on at least one of the links operating at the first data rate; and a controller for selectively changing the at least one link from the first data rate to the second data rate based on the number of symbol errors reaching a prescribed threshold. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification