Patent ID: 6094439
Filing Date: 2000-07-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
The method of transmitting packet data output from a media access controller at first transmission rate, comprising:establishing a plurality of physical layer links configured for transmitting serial data to a destination network node;receiving the packet data from the media access controller by a physical interface coupled to the physical layer links, the received packet data having a preamble and an error code; andselectively transmitting at least a portion of the packet data from the physical interface onto at least a first of the physical layer links at a second, slower transmission rate, whereinthe selectively transmitting step comprises:dividing the received packet data into a group of separate data segments, andtransmitting the group of separate data segments on a group of the physical layer links, respectively, each separate data segment having a separate preamble before each separate data segment and error code, different from the preamble and error code of the received packet data, andthe dividing step comprises:splitting the received packet data based on a prescribed number of bits.