Patent ID: 7362714

Claim:
A network analysis device for a digital data computer network, comprising: a digitizer which digitally samples analog characteristics of digital communication events between network devices connected to the network independently of packet contents associated with any of the digital communication events, the analog characteristics including a component of at least one of voltage and frequency, the samples taken at least at one of a rate and a resolution greater than is required to minimally detect digital transitions, wherein the samples are taken at a sampling frequency of at least approximately 500 megahertz; a system processor which downloads data of the sampled signal events from the digitizer, which analyzes the analog characteristics, and which decodes the signal events, which are digital communications between the devices, based on the data, and wherein the system processor classifies the signal events as digital communications, noise, interference and/or crosstalk, wherein the system processor classifies the signal events as digital communications, noise, interference and/or crosstalk to selectively predict a failure mode.