Patent ID: 8553565

Claim:
A switch apparatus connected to a network for sending and receiving frames, comprising: a high-order port that is connected to a backbone network or a high-order switch; a plurality of low-order ports that send a loop detection frame to detect an occurrence of a loop failure; and a controller that controls the high-order port and the low-order ports, wherein the low-order ports are coupled to terminals via a network different from the backbone network, wherein the low-order ports includes at least one of a first low-order port that is set to be deactivated when the occurrence of the loop failure is detected and a second low-order port that is set not to be deactivated when the occurrence of the loop failure is detected, and wherein the controller determines that the loop failure has occurred, when the high-order port receives the loop detection frame sent from the first low-order port, and deactivates the first low-order port that has sent the loop detection frame when it is determined that the loop failure has occurred.