A USB extension device, comprising: a USB physical layer interface; a remote interface; characterized in that the USB extension device further comprises a protocol engine configured to: establish a first link partner relationship with a device via the USB physical layer interface; establish a second link partner relationship with a second USB extension device via the remote interface; transmit a header packet received from the device via the USB physical layer interface to the second USB extension device via an extension medium accessible via the remote interface; receive a header packet acknowledgement from the second USB extension device; monitor the elapsed time between transmission of the header packet and receipt of the header packet acknowledgement using a configurable timer; and cause the second link partner relationship to transition to recovery in response to determining that the header packet acknowledgement has not been received within an elapsed time after the header packet transmission indicated by the configurable timer; wherein the header packet acknowledgement is received at an elapsed time after the header packet transmission that is greater than a standard link layer acknowledgement timer without causing the second link partner relationship or the first link partner relationship to transition to recovery; and wherein the configurable timer is set to a value greater than three microseconds. a USB physical layer interface; a remote interface; characterized in that the USB extension device further comprises a protocol engine configured to: establish a first link partner relationship with a device via the USB physical layer interface; establish a second link partner relationship with a second USB extension device via the remote interface; transmit a header packet received from the device via the USB physical layer interface to the second USB extension device via an extension medium accessible via the remote interface; receive a header packet acknowledgement from the second USB extension device; monitor the elapsed time between transmission of the header packet and receipt of the header packet acknowledgement using a configurable timer; and cause the second link partner relationship to transition to recovery in response to determining that the header packet acknowledgement has not been received within an elapsed time after the header packet transmission indicated by the configurable timer; establish a first link partner relationship with a device via the USB physical layer interface; establish a second link partner relationship with a second USB extension device via the remote interface; transmit a header packet received from the device via the USB physical layer interface to the second USB extension device via an extension medium accessible via the remote interface; receive a header packet acknowledgement from the second USB extension device; monitor the elapsed time between transmission of the header packet and receipt of the header packet acknowledgement using a configurable timer; and cause the second link partner relationship to transition to recovery in response to determining that the header packet acknowledgement has not been received within an elapsed time after the header packet transmission indicated by the configurable timer; wherein the header packet acknowledgement is received at an elapsed time after the header packet transmission that is greater than a standard link layer acknowledgement timer without causing the second link partner relationship or the first link partner relationship to transition to recovery; and wherein the configurable timer is set to a value greater than three microseconds.