Abstract: A time aware device for a packet switched network comprising at least one time tag processing unit adapted to process time tag data of a predetermined time tag data field (TTDF) provided within a header of a tagged data packet (TDP) transported in said packet switched network to provide time related information reflecting a delay undergone by said tagged data packet (TDP) during its transport in said packet switched network.

Abstract: A network comprising a latency monitoring point adapted to calculate a forward latency of a path between a master node and a slave node on the basis of time stamps which are exchanged periodically between said master node and said slave node by a time alignment protocol used in said network.

Abstract: A network node of a synchronous network, wherein said network node comprises a timing circuit which recovers a reference clock from a reception signal received by said network node from an upstream network node of said synchronous network and uses the recovered reference clock for a transmission signal transmitted by said network node to a downstream network node of said synchronous network; and a clock stability monitoring circuit which monitors internal control parameters (CP) of said timing circuit to detect an instability of the reference clock distributed within said synchronous network.

Abstract: A method is described for accessing a virtual private network over a packet switched network. The method includes the steps of sending, by a provider edge router, network labeling information about data packet labels to a network access device using a layer 2 network protocol.

Abstract: The invention provides for a method for accessing a virtual private network over a packet switched network, the method comprising sending, by a provider edge router, network labelling information about data packet labels to a network access device using a layer 2 network protocol. The method may be performed for accessing a hierarchical Virtual Private LAN Service network using a link layer distribution protocol as signalling protocol for Multi-Protocol Label Switching labels attached to data packets of the packet switched network.

Abstract: A network node of a synchronous network, wherein said network node comprises a timing circuit which recovers a reference clock from a reception signal received by said network node from an upstream network node of said synchronous network and uses the recovered reference clock for a transmission signal transmitted by said network node to a downstream network node of said synchronous network; and a clock stability monitoring circuit which monitors internal control parameters (CP) of said timing circuit to detect an instability of the reference clock distributed within said synchronous network.

Abstract: A time aware device for a packet switched network comprising at least one time tag processing unit adapted to process time tag data of a predetermined time tag data field (TTDF) provided within a header of a tagged data packet (TDP) transported in said packet switched network to provide time related information reflecting a delay undergone by said tagged data packet (TDP) during its transport in said packet switched network.