Patent ID: 8042006

Claim:
A system for providing redundant data and/or Inline Power to a port of a wired data telecommunications network, the system comprising: a redundancy selection device having a first interface of a first port coupled to a first port of a first data telecommunications device, a second interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device coupled to a first port of a second data telecommunications device; a controller operable to: enter an initial mode wherein data received over the first interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device is coupled to a third interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device; detect a failure in a flow of data and/or Inline Power received over the first interface; and cause a change in state of the redundancy selection device in response to detecting a failure in the flow of data and/or Inline Power to subsequently couple data received over the second interface of the first port of the redundancy selection to the third interface.