A method comprising: performing speed negotiation and transmitter training on each of ports at one end of four parallel connected Fibre Channel links, each port including a series of submodules; determining, after speed negotiation and transmitter training, if the ports at one end of each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links are capable of operating as parallel lanes; determining, after speed negotiation and transmitter training, if each of the ports at one end of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links has indicated capability of 128 Gbps operation; determining, after speed negotiation and transmitter training, if each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links has negotiated for 32 Gbps operation; and configuring each of the ports at one end of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links for 128 Gbps operation upon determining (918, 1004) that the ports at one end of each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links are capable of operating as parallel lanes, that each of the ports at one end of each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links has indicated capability of 128 Gbps operation and that each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links has negotiated for 32 Gbps operation; determining, after speed negotiation and transmitter training, if at least one of the ports at one end of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links indicates 128 Gbps only operation; and indicating speed negotiation failure upon determining that either one of the ports at one end of each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links is not capable of operating as a parallel lane or each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links has not negotiated for 32 Gbps operation and also upon determining that at least one of the ports at one end of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links indicates 128 Gbps only operation. performing speed negotiation and transmitter training on each of ports at one end of four parallel connected Fibre Channel links, each port including a series of submodules; determining, after speed negotiation and transmitter training, if the ports at one end of each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links are capable of operating as parallel lanes; determining, after speed negotiation and transmitter training, if each of the ports at one end of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links has indicated capability of 128 Gbps operation; determining, after speed negotiation and transmitter training, if each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links has negotiated for 32 Gbps operation; and configuring each of the ports at one end of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links for 128 Gbps operation upon determining (918, 1004) that the ports at one end of each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links are capable of operating as parallel lanes, that each of the ports at one end of each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links has indicated capability of 128 Gbps operation and that each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links has negotiated for 32 Gbps operation; determining, after speed negotiation and transmitter training, if at least one of the ports at one end of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links indicates 128 Gbps only operation; and indicating speed negotiation failure upon determining that either one of the ports at one end of each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links is not capable of operating as a parallel lane or each of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links has not negotiated for 32 Gbps operation and also upon determining that at least one of the ports at one end of the four parallel connected Fibre Channel links indicates 128 Gbps only operation.