Patent ID: 7979587

Claim:
A physical layer of a device, the physical layer configured to be connected to a plurality of twisted pairs of wire, the physical layer comprising: an autonegotiation controller configured to initially advertise a plurality of operating speeds associated with the device, and receive a request for the device to operate at a first operating speed, the first operating speed corresponding to one of the plurality of operating speeds initially advertised by the autonegotiation controller; a cable detector configured to determine whether the physical layer is connected to a sufficient number of twisted pair wires to support the first operating speed; and a speed adjuster configured to alter the plurality of operating speeds advertised by autonegotiation controller in response to the physical layer not being connected to a sufficient number of twisted pair wires to support the first operating speed, the speed adjuster to alter the plurality of operating speeds advertised by the autonegotiation controller by masking the one of the plurality of operating speeds corresponding to the first operating speed from being advertised by the autonegotiation controller.