A network element includes at least one communication port and a processor. The communication port is configured to communicate with a peer communication port of a peer network element. The processor is configured to support a full-boot mode and a fast-boot mode, to establish, by negotiation with the peer network element, whether the fast-boot mode is supported both for the communication port and for the peer communication port, and, in response to finding that the fast-boot mode is supported both for the communication port and for the peer communication port, to coordinate with the peer network element a boot of the communication port and of the peer communication port, both using the fast-boot mode.

A system for negotiating Ethernet link settings between interconnected nodes in a network having an Ethernet protocol stack that includes a PCS sub-layer with an auto-negotiation function. The system comprises connecting an intermediate device coupled between two network nodes via optical or copper interfaces, with the link settings between each node and the connected intermediate device being the same, thereby bypassing the auto-negotiation of the PCS sub-layer in the intermediate device. The intermediate device may transparently send negotiation messages from each node to the other during the link negotiation phase without interacting with those messages. Instead of the intermediate device, a single form pluggable (SFP) device may be connected between the two network nodes via optical or copper interfaces on the network side and via an SFP slot on the device side.

Ethernet link extension methods and devices provide, in one illustrative embodiment, an Ethernet link extender with physical medium attachment (PMA) circuits each having a transmitter and receiver that communicate with a respective node in a sequence of communication phases. The sequence includes at least an auto-negotiation phase and a subsequent training phase, the phases occurring simultaneously for both PMA circuits. In the auto-negotiation phase, the PMA circuits operate in a pass-through mode, rendering the extender transparent to the two nodes. In the training phase, the PMA circuits operate independently, sending training frames to their respective nodes based in part on received back-channel information and locally-determined training status information. The training phases may be prolonged if needed to provide a simultaneous transition to a frame-forwarding phase of the sequence.

Ethernet link extension methods and devices provide, in one illustrative embodiment, an Ethernet link extender with physical medium attachment (PMA) circuits each having a transmitter and receiver that communicate with a respective node in a sequence of communication phases. The sequence includes at least an auto-negotiation phase and a subsequent training phase, the phases occurring simultaneously for both PMA circuits. In the auto-negotiation phase, the PMA circuits operate in a pass-through mode, rendering the extender transparent to the two nodes. In the training phase, the PMA circuits operate independently, sending training frames to their respective nodes based in part on received back-channel information and locally-determined training status information. The training phases may be prolonged if needed to provide a simultaneous transition to a frame-forwarding phase of the sequence.

The present application discloses a long-distance transmission method for an Ethernet switch including a network switching module, an MCU module and a dial code module. The MCU module is connected to the network switching module and the dial code module. The dial code module is configured for providing two configuration inputs for a normal mode and a long-distance mode for user equipment. The MCU module is configured for monitoring a configuration input state of the dial code module in real time. When detecting that the dial code module is in the configuration input for the normal mode, the MCU module configures a network port of the network switching module to be in a self-negotiation mode. When detecting that the dial code module is in the configuration input state for the long-distance mode, the MCU module configures the network port of the network switching module to be in a 10 Mbps full-duplex mode and controls an amplitude of an output voltage of a network signal of the network switching module to increase. The network switching module is configured for negotiating a network link bandwidth of 10 Mbps and a full duplex mode between the network switching module and the user equipment for long-distance data transmission according to a configuration made by the MCU module when the dial code module is in the long-distance mode. The embodiments of the present application are applied to long-distance data transmission.

A network communication method used in a network communication apparatus is provided that includes the steps outlined below. An external network communication apparatus is electrically coupled through a communication path. A communication capability packet is transmitted to the external network communication apparatus. Whether an acknowledgement packet from the external network communication apparatus is received through the communication path is determined. When the acknowledgement packet is not received, a single direction communication is performed within any single time period by using a time division communication mechanism such that an auto negotiation process is performed by exchanging the communication capability packet and the acknowledgement packet of both of the network communication apparatus and the external network communication apparatus.

A multi-endpoint adapter includes endpoints configured to couple to respective processing subsystems, multi-endpoint adapter ports configured to couple to an external switch via respective external switch ports, and an internal switch coupled to the endpoints and multi-endpoint adapter ports. The internal switch receives a data packet from a first application provided by a first processing subsystem through a first endpoint, and matches the data packet to a data flow associated with QoS parameter(s). The internal switch then identifies a data flow action that is associated with the data flow and that provides for the transmission of the data packet via a first multiple endpoint adapter port that is configured in a manner that satisfies the at least one QoS parameter, and performs the data flow action to transmit the data packet through the first multi-endpoint adapter port and a first external switch port to the external switch.

Methods and Systems are described for control at/of a network node. The network node can include a control module and first and second modules coupled to the control module. The first module can be configured to select first input/output (I/O) types of a field device coupled at an I/O interface of the network node. The second module can be configured to select a second I/O types of the field device. The first and second modules can be coupled to the I/O interface through a field device coupler.

Methods and Systems are described for control at/of a network node. The network node can include a control module and first and second modules coupled to the control module. The first module can be configured to select first input/output (I/O) types of a field device coupled at an I/O interface of the network node. The second module can be configured to select a second I/O types of the field device. The first and second modules can be coupled to the I/O interface through a field device coupler.

A network device includes a hardware component. The network device includes a first device receiver operably connected to the hardware component via a first hardware component connection and adapted to receive a device. The network device further includes a second device receiver operably connected to the hardware component via a second hardware component connection. The first device receiver of the network device is adapted to reversibly reallocate the first hardware component connection to the second device receiver.