Patent ID: 7805637

Claim:
Network equipment for providing a connection to a local network, said local network comprising at least one software server, said network equipment comprising: a memory for storing software; means for providing a connection to said local network; and means for monitoring a start up of the network equipment to detect a software start up failure, and for generating a software start up failure signal in response to detecting said software start up failure, said software start up failure signal being broadcast on the local network for reception by said at least one software server, said software start up failure signal comprising information specifying at least one of: (i) a nature of said software start up failure, an identification of replacement software to be downloaded, and an identification of a version of the software currently stored in the memory; (ii) said nature of said software start up failure, and said identification of replacement software to be downloaded; and (iii) said nature of said software start up failure, and said identification of said version of the software currently stored in the memory.