Patent ID: 7519004
Filing Date: 2009-04-14
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: initiating at a network interface device a loopback test of a datalink layer of the network interface device from a user-space software layer of the network interface device, including generating a test packet having a source and a destination address associated with the network interface device, where the datalink layer and the user-space software layer are layers of a network stack on the network interface device; transmitting the test packet from the user-space software layers of the network interface device through the datalink layer of the network interface device and out a network connection external to the network interface device; receiving the transmitted test packet at the network interface device; and determining at the user-space software layer a result of the loopback test of the datalink layer of the network interface device by determining whether the received test packet matches the generated test packet.