Patent ID: 8072994

Claim:
A mobile router comprising: a local network interface to wirelessly communicate with a mobile device via a local wireless network; a backhaul network interface to wirelessly communicate via a backhaul network to establish a layer 2 communications link and a layer 3 communications link ; one or more processors; a serial data device interface to communicate with a serial data device connected to said interface; and a memory in communication with said one or more processors and said serial data device interface; a link monitor program executable by said one or more processors; said one or more processors executing said link monitor program to monitor said layer 2 and layer 3 communications links over said backhaul network interface; said one or more processors executing said link monitor program to reestablish communications via said layer 2 and said layer 3 links when a communications failure via said layer 2 communications link is detected and to reestablish communications via said layer 3 communications link when a communications failure via only said layer 3 communications link is detected; said one or more processors operable with said link monitor program to send test data packets via said layer 2 and said layer 3 links and adaptively operable to control a frequency at which test packets are sent based upon receipt of data packets; said one or more processors operable with said link monitor program: to detect an attempt by said mobile device to establish a transport protocol session between said mobile device and a destination device, and when said attempt is detected, initiate a first replacement transport protocol session between said mobile router and said mobile device over said local wireless network and a second replacement transport protocol session between said mobile router and said destination device over said backhaul network; and a data publication program executable by said one or more processors to selectively communicate at said serial data device interface over said backhaul network to a destination device.