Patent ID: 6085241
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A network bandwidth management tool, comprising:a first and a second network interface ""A"" and ""B"" that provide for a connection of a group of network users to network;a first and a second physical layer interface transceiver respectively connected to the first and second network interfaces ""A"" and ""B"";a first and a second media access controller (MAC) respectively connected by media-independent interfaces (MII) to receive symbol information from the first and second physical layer interface transceivers;a cross-connection that patches through a receiver symbol output of the first physical layer interface transceiver to a transmitter symbol input of the second physical layer interface transceiver, and that patches through a receiver symbol output of the second physical layer interface transceiver to a transmitter symbol input of the first physical layer interface transceiver; anda first and a second microcomputer respectively connected to the first and second MACs and that provide for a computing of traffic bandwidth associated with individual network addresses related to said group of users, wherein said computing of traffic bandwidth is based on symbol information read by each of the first and second MACs from said MII interfaces.