A method for reducing identification time of path failures in a communications network, comprising: designating a plurality of computing devices connected to a layer 2 switch (206, 216) as a multi-path 3, hereafter MP3, group, wherein each of the computing devices in the MP3 group have an identical MP3 identification, hereafter MP3-ID; designating a plurality of computing devices connected to a plurality of the layer 2 switches that are connected to a subnet (208, 218) as a multi-path 2, hereafter MP2, group, wherein each of the plurality of computing devices in the MP2 group have an identical MP2 identification, hereafter MP2-ID; designating a plurality of computing devices connected to a plurality of the layer 2 switches that are connected to a plurality of the subnets that are connected to a gateway router (210, 211) as a multi-path 1, hereafter MP1, group, wherein each of the plurality of computing devices in the MP1 group have an identical MP1 identification, hereafter MP1-ID; storing the MP1-ID, MP2-ID, and MP3-ID for each computing device in a router, or providing an internet protocol public branch exchange, hereafter iPBX, server connected to the plurality of computing devices in the MP1, MP2, and MP3 groups, wherein the router or the iPBX is configured to receive heartbeat packets from each connected computing device at a selected periodic rate; and identifying at least one potential path failure in the communications network based on a failure to receive at least one heartbeat packet at the router or the iPBX from a particular computing device at the selected periodic rate, wherein the at least one potential path failure is determined based on the MP1-ID, the MP2-ID, and the MP3-ID of the particular computing device. designating a plurality of computing devices connected to a layer 2 switch (206, 216) as a multi-path 3, hereafter MP3, group, wherein each of the computing devices in the MP3 group have an identical MP3 identification, hereafter MP3-ID; designating a plurality of computing devices connected to a plurality of the layer 2 switches that are connected to a subnet (208, 218) as a multi-path 2, hereafter MP2, group, wherein each of the plurality of computing devices in the MP2 group have an identical MP2 identification, hereafter MP2-ID; designating a plurality of computing devices connected to a plurality of the layer 2 switches that are connected to a plurality of the subnets that are connected to a gateway router (210, 211) as a multi-path 1, hereafter MP1, group, wherein each of the plurality of computing devices in the MP1 group have an identical MP1 identification, hereafter MP1-ID; storing the MP1-ID, MP2-ID, and MP3-ID for each computing device in a router, or providing an internet protocol public branch exchange, hereafter iPBX, server connected to the plurality of computing devices in the MP1, MP2, and MP3 groups, wherein the router or the iPBX is configured to receive heartbeat packets from each connected computing device at a selected periodic rate; and identifying at least one potential path failure in the communications network based on a failure to receive at least one heartbeat packet at the router or the iPBX from a particular computing device at the selected periodic rate, wherein the at least one potential path failure is determined based on the MP1-ID, the MP2-ID, and the MP3-ID of the particular computing device.