Patent ID: 8069293

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a computer server motherboard comprising a base network interface controller integrated circuit comprising: a set of low-speed media access controllers (MACs), a set of high-speed MACs, a programmable processor connected to the low-speed MACs and high-speed MACs; and a set of low-speed physical layer processor (PHY) devices, each low-speed PHY device being connected to a corresponding low-speed MAC for the base network interface controller integrated circuit; and a high-speed physical layer device expansion card removably connected to the computer server motherboard, the high-speed physical controller expansion card comprising a set of high-speed physical layer processor (PHY) devices, each high-speed PHY device being connected to a high-speed MAC of the base network interface controller integrated circuit; wherein the programmable processor is programmed to determine a type of the high-speed physical layer device expansion card connected to the computer server motherboard, wherein determining the type of the high-speed physical layer device expansion card includes determining a physical layer standard of the high-speed physical layer device expansion card; and configure the base network interface controller integrated circuit or the high-speed physical layer device expansion card according to the determined type of the high-speed physical layer device expansion card.