Patent ID: 7142553

Claim:
A network interface for a host station, comprising: a receiver interfaced to a shared medium, the shared medium connecting the receiver to a set of transmit stations capable of transmitting a series of data packets over the shared medium, the receiver receiving a receive data packet and generating a sample packet based on the receive data packet, the receive data packet being one of the series of data packets which is designated for receipt by the host station; a receive queue for holding a plurality of sample packets, the sample packet being one of the plurality of sample packets in the receive queue; an off-line processor for processing the plurality of sample packets held in the receive queue into digitized data receivable by the host station, the off-line processor processing the sample packet independently of the receiver processing the receive data packet; and a carrier/header detect connected to a receive CODEC and interfaced to the shared medium, the carrier/header detect generating a trigger signal upon detecting the receive data packet.