Patent ID: 8356190

Claim:
A network device, comprising: a backplane; a first module that includes a first physical layer device and a second physical layer device, said first physical layer device being coupled to an external second network device via a network cable, said second physical layer device being coupled to said backplane, said first physical layer device having a first power mode and a second power mode, wherein during sail first power mode, said first physical layer device having a transmitter that transmits at a first data transmission rate and consumes a first level of power, and during said second power mode, said transmitter transmits at a second data transmission rate lower than said first data transmission rate and consumes a second level of power lower than said first level of power; a second module that includes a third physical layer device, said third physical layer device being coupled to said backplane, said backplane enabling communication between said third physical layer device and said second physical layer device; and an energy efficiency control policy module, said energy efficiency control policy module being configured to determine a need to transition said first physical layer device from said first power mode to said second power mode, wherein a plurality of interfaces in a communication path that extends in a direction upstream from an interface between said first physical layer device and said network cable are configured to transition to an energy saving mode in response to said determined need to transition said first physical layer device to said second power mode.