Patent ID: 7774424

Claim:
A method of determining a set of common link rates for communication between a device having a set of supported link rates and a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface or a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SAS/SATA) storage network element in a SAS/SATA storage network system, comprising: a) transmitting an initial data stream to said SAS/SATA storage network element at one of said supported link rates; b) receiving a reply data stream from said SAS/SATA storage network element at said one of said supported link rates; c) reporting said one of said supported link rates as a common link rate if said reply data stream is received; d) repeating steps b) to c) for each of said remaining supported link rates without said SAS/SATA storage network element entering an active state with said device; e) determining a single link rate supported by all connected PHYs communicating in said SAS/SATA storage network system, the single link rate being one of said common link rates; and f) restarting and performing speed negotiation to completion with one of said common link rates reported in step c).