Patent ID: 7127669

Claim:
A method for communicating using a primary link and a redundant link, wherein data packets transmitted via the primary link and the redundant link are substantially the same, the method comprising: transmitting a first series of packets from a first transceiver to a second transceiver along a primary link; forwarding a second series of packets which corresponds to the first series of packets from the first transceiver to a third transceiver via a first cross-connect; transmitting the second series of packets from the third transceiver to a fourth transceiver via the redundant link; forwarding the second series of packets from the fourth transceiver to the second transceiver via a second cross-connect; storing a portion of the first series of packets at the second transceiver until a corresponding packet from the second series of packets is received by the second transceiver; determining a quality for the first series of packets and the second series of packets; and forwarding either the first series of packets or the second series of packets based on the quality; wherein the primary link is a free space optical link.