A method comprising: in a switch device (120, 210, 625): identifying a loss of signal event, and in response: disabling a transmitter (222, 627) of the switch device at a point in time, wherein the time between the loss of signal event and the point in time, when the transmitter of the switch device is disabled, is less than a synchronization threshold parameter; automatically performing a link restart process to restore communication with a link partner (121, 212, 645), where the link restart process executes without performing a speed negotiation with the link partner by communicating at a common transfer speed, wherein automatically performing comprises: disabling the transmitter of the switch device for a predetermined recovery duration; enabling the transmitter of the switch device after the predetermined recovery duration elapses, and wherein a transmitter of the link partner is enabled within the time period specified by the synchronization threshold parameter after the predetermined recovery duration elapses. in a switch device (120, 210, 625): identifying a loss of signal event, and in response: disabling a transmitter (222, 627) of the switch device at a point in time, wherein the time between the loss of signal event and the point in time, when the transmitter of the switch device is disabled, is less than a synchronization threshold parameter; automatically performing a link restart process to restore communication with a link partner (121, 212, 645), where the link restart process executes without performing a speed negotiation with the link partner by communicating at a common transfer speed, wherein automatically performing comprises: disabling the transmitter of the switch device for a predetermined recovery duration; enabling the transmitter of the switch device after the predetermined recovery duration elapses, and wherein a transmitter of the link partner is enabled within the time period specified by the synchronization threshold parameter after the predetermined recovery duration elapses. identifying a loss of signal event, and in response: disabling a transmitter (222, 627) of the switch device at a point in time, wherein the time between the loss of signal event and the point in time, when the transmitter of the switch device is disabled, is less than a synchronization threshold parameter; automatically performing a link restart process to restore communication with a link partner (121, 212, 645), where the link restart process executes without performing a speed negotiation with the link partner by communicating at a common transfer speed, wherein automatically performing comprises: disabling the transmitter of the switch device for a predetermined recovery duration; enabling the transmitter of the switch device after the predetermined recovery duration elapses, and wherein a transmitter of the link partner is enabled within the time period specified by the synchronization threshold parameter after the predetermined recovery duration elapses. disabling a transmitter (222, 627) of the switch device at a point in time, wherein the time between the loss of signal event and the point in time, when the transmitter of the switch device is disabled, is less than a synchronization threshold parameter; automatically performing a link restart process to restore communication with a link partner (121, 212, 645), where the link restart process executes without performing a speed negotiation with the link partner by communicating at a common transfer speed, wherein automatically performing comprises: disabling the transmitter of the switch device for a predetermined recovery duration; enabling the transmitter of the switch device after the predetermined recovery duration elapses, and wherein disabling the transmitter of the switch device for a predetermined recovery duration; enabling the transmitter of the switch device after the predetermined recovery duration elapses, and wherein a transmitter of the link partner is enabled within the time period specified by the synchronization threshold parameter after the predetermined recovery duration elapses.