Patent ID: 8161539

Claim:
A network terminal comprising: a network adapter that interfaces with a network, and wherein the network adapter: receives, from a network adapter driver, a first received packet comprising a packet identifier (ID) including an internet protocol (IP) address, encrypts the first received packet based on an encryption protocol to obtain an encrypted packet comprising the packet ID and an encryption indicia that is an identifier for the encryption protocol; generates a stream of packets, wherein a first packet in the stream of packets comprises the encrypted packet; and transmits the stream of packets out to an interface of said network; and a network adapter verifier that is separate from said network adapter, and wherein the network adapter verifier: prior to the first received packet being received by the network adapter, captures said packet ID; caches said packet ID to obtain a first cached packet ID; in response to the network adapter transmitting the stream of packets, monitors said transmission of the stream of packets out to the interface of said network by the network adapter; in response to the network adapter sending the transmission, compares a first packet ID of the first packet in said stream of packets to the first cached packet ID to determine whether there is a match; in response to said first packet ID matching said first cached packet ID, checks said first packet for said encryption indicia; and in response to a determination that said first packet does not contain said encryption indicia: halts the transmission of said stream of packets; discards one or more subsequent packets in said stream of packets; and wherein said determination that said first packet does not contain said encryption indicia provides an indication that the network adapter is not operating correctly.