Patent ID: 8861507

Claim:
A method of providing a backup public switched telephone network (PSTN) line to a broadband network connection, comprising: detecting unavailability of the broadband network connection; automatically connecting local site wiring to the PSTN line responsive to detecting unavailability of the broadband network connection and disconnecting local site wiring from the PSTN line when unavailability is not detected, wherein detecting unavailability of the broadband network connection comprises detecting a failure of communications on the broadband network connection, and wherein detecting unavailability of the broadband network connection further comprises detecting failure of a network adapter associated with the local site wiring, and wherein detecting the failure of communications on the broadband network connection comprises: transmitting a predefined message on the broadband network after a period of inactivity on the broadband network connection; and detecting the failure when no response is received to the transmitted predefined message; and automatically disconnecting the local site wiring from the PSTN line when a response is received to the transmitted predefined message, comprising: determining if a telephone call is in progress using the PSTN line; and disconnecting the local site wiring from the PSTN line if the telephone call is not in progress using the PSTN line.