Patent ID: 7301738

Claim:
A method for monitoring a communication network that includes a plurality of node electronics units communicatively coupled to at least one central control processing unit through at least one network wherein each network includes a network switch, and wherein the method comprises the steps of: coupling a monitoring domain to the network wherein the monitoring domain includes at least one of a node to be monitored, a monitoring node, and a network coupler wherein the node to be monitored is communicatively coupled to at least one monitored link, and wherein the monitoring node is communicatively coupled to at least one monitoring link; and receiving at least one of network traffic transmitted on at least one of the monitored links, and network traffic received on at least one of the monitored links through at least one monitoring link, wherein said network traffic comprises a plurality of first signals representative of current and/or voltage that are transmitted to said at least one central control processing unit from said plurality of node electronics units and said network traffic comprises a circuit breaker trip command that is transmitted to said plurality of node electronics units from said at least one central control processing unit in response to said first signals.