Patent ID: 7904566

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a network host configured to be coupled with a port multiplier in a network; and the port multiplier including a top port multiplier of a plurality of port multipliers coupled with a network host and with other port multipliers of the plurality of port multipliers, wherein the top port multiplier includes an enhanced port multiplier to establish and maintain communication with each of the other plurality of port multipliers to facilitate communication, in multiple cascading levels, between the network host, other port multipliers, and a plurality of network devices, the other port multipliers having one or more of intermediate port multipliers and one or more of bottom port multipliers, wherein the one or more intermediate port multipliers include one or more enhanced intermediate port multipliers to facilitate additional one or more cascading levels, wherein the one or more intermediate port multipliers and the one or more bottom port multipliers include one or more third-party port multipliers to facilitate communication between the network host and one or more third-party network devices.