Patent ID: 7366930

Claim:
A method comprising: determining a first plurality of connection speeds associated with a first device; determining a second plurality of connection speeds associated with a second device; determining a slowest common link speed of the first plurality of connection speeds and the second plurality of connection speeds; negotiating an Ethernet link at the slowest common link speed; actively communicating between the two devices over the Ethernet link at the slowest common link speed; determining whether the Ethernet link was successfully negotiated at the slowest common link speed; and if the Ethernet link was not successfully negotiated, (i) determining a next-slowest common link speed of the first plurality of connection speeds and the second plurality of connection speeds, (ii) negotiating the Ethernet link at the next-slowest common link speed, and (iii) actively communicating between the two devices over the Ethernet link at the next-slowest common link speed.