Patent ID: 8391156

Claim:
A method comprising: sending, by a device, a test data unit to a receiving node across a network; receiving, by the device, a response data unit from the receiving node across the network based on sending the test data unit, the response data unit including at least one time value that indicates an amount of time that elapsed from a first time at which the test data unit was received at the receiving node until a second time at which the receiving node sent the response data unit across the network; extracting, by the device, the at least one time value from the response data unit; and evaluating, by the device, a status of the receiving node based on the at least one extracted time value, evaluating the status of the receiving node including: conducting, by the device, a testing session with the receiving node when the at least one extracted time value corresponds to a first magnitude; and terminating, by the device, the testing session with the receiving node when the at least one extracted time value corresponds to a second magnitude different than the first magnitude.