Patent ID: 6950654

Claim:
A system for protecting transmission of a data stream, comprising: a. a plurality of a predetermined N number of main transceivers; b. a plurality of N standby transceivers, each of the N standby transceivers being logically paired with a unique one of the N main transceivers; c. a plurality of N main network adapters, each of the N main network adapters operatively in communication with a unique one of the N main transceivers; d. a standby network adapter; e. a switching unit, the switching unit further comprising: i. N transceiver device ports, each operatively in communication with no more than one unique N standby transceiver; and ii. a network adapter port, operatively in communication with the standby network adapter; and iii. a controllable link defining a communication path between a predetermined one of the N transceiver device ports and the network adapter port; and f. a switching unit controller operatively in communication with the switching unit, the main transceivers, the main network adapters, the standby transceiver, and the standby network adapter, the switching unit controller capable of: i. detecting an alarm condition in a main transceiver; ii. detecting an alarm condition in a main network adapter; and iii. directing a standby transceiver to be routed to the standby network adapter through the switching unit in response to the detected alarm condition.