Patent ID: 8929835
Filing Date: 2015-01-06
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A diagnostic method of network equipment that operates in a live configuration in a network, comprising: determining, by a physical layer device in said network equipment, whether a packet intended for transmission includes a test signature, wherein said comprises determining by said physical layer device that is connected to a media access control device, said physical layer device connected to a physical communication medium via magnetics; if it is determined by said physical layer device that said packet does not include said test signature, then transmitting, by said physical layer device, said packet to a peer device via said physical communication medium; and if it is determined by said physical layer device that said packet does include said test signature, then removing, by said physical layer device, said packet from a transmission path to said peer device, and incrementing, by said physical layer device, a first counter; and comparing, by diagnostic software, a value of said first counter to a value of a second counter that is incremented by a test module residing in a layer above a media access control layer.