Patent ID: 7742439

Claim:
A method for correcting in an automated manner duplex mismatches between a first port of a first network device and a second port of a second network device the method performed by one or more processors of the first network device executing computer-executable code, the method comprising: determining whether the first port is a copper port; in response to determining that the first port is not a copper port, indicating that a duplex mismatch between the first port and the second port is not possible; in response to determining that the first port is a copper port, determining whether the first port is operating in a gigabit mode; in response to determining that the first port is operating in the gigabit mode, indicating that a duplex mismatch between the first port and the second port is not possible; in response to determining that the first port is not operating in the gigabit mode, detecting a duplex mismatch at the first port of the first network device; in response to detecting the duplex mismatch, determining characteristics of the duplex mismatch, where the characteristics comprise one of: a first indication that cyclic redundancy check errors have exceeded a threshold level at the first port, corresponding to late collisions being detected at the second port, a second indication that the late collisions have occurred at the first port, corresponding to the cyclic redundancy check errors having exceeded the threshold level at the second port; waiting for an effectively random period of time, where the effectively random period of time is a first period of time where the first port is currently configured for auto-negotiation, where the effectively random period of time is a second period of time where the first port is currently configured for forced full duplex, the second period of time being longer than the first period of time, and after waiting for the effectively random period of time, modifying a configuration of the first port of the first network device based upon said characteristics.