Patent ID: 6985713

Claim:
A data communications network comprising: at least one hub; a plurality of nodes connected via network connections to said at least one hub, each of said network connections comprising at least one twisted pair, each of said nodes comprising a node-resident node identification functionality comprising a precise resistor operatively connected to said at least one twisted pair, said precise resistor having no function in the node other than as part of said node-resident node identification functionality; and a power distribution subsystem operative to provide at least some power to at least some of said plurality of nodes via at least some of said network connections, said power distribution subsystem including: a node identification functionality providing identification of nodes at least partially by detecting a unique relationship between voltage and current associated with said precise resistor via said at least one twisted pair of said some of said plurality of network connections in order to enable an appropriate supply of power to individual nodes; and a power supply responsive to said node identification functionality to supply power to said at least some of said plurality of nodes via said at least one twisted pair of said some of said network connections.