Patent ID: 8218434

Claim:
A method of protection switching in an Ethernet network, the method comprising: establishing a first point-to-point Ethernet link to a remote data equipment via a first Ethernet port; establishing a second point-to-point Ethernet link to the remote data equipment via a second Ethernet port; during normal data transmission times, receiving identical streams of Ethernet traffic for forwarding to the remote data equipment at both the first Ethernet port and the second Ethernet port, the identical streams being received from other than the first and second point-to-point Ethernet links; during normal data transmission times, transmitting the stream of Ethernet traffic being received at the first Ethernet port to the remote data equipment over the first point-to-point Ethernet link, while preventing the second Ethernet port from transmitting the stream of Ethernet traffic received at the second Ethernet port over the second point-to-point Ethernet link; detecting auto-negotiation signaling on the first point-to-point Ethernet link, the auto-negotiation signaling being from the remote data equipment and indicating that the first point-to-point Ethernet link is inoperable; and in response to detecting the auto-negotiation signaling, ceasing transmission of the stream of Ethernet traffic received at the first Ethernet port to the remote data equipment over the first point-to-point Ethernet link, and commencing transmission of the stream of Ethernet traffic being received at the second Ethernet port to the remote data equipment over the second point-to-point Ethernet link.