Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for removing unwanted data packets from a ring topology communication network having a plurality of nodes. The invention ensures that a data packet is removed from the network if there is a failure of the originating node, or if there is a failure of the node principally responsible for removing the data packet. The invention provides fault-tolerance, without significantly adversely affecting the overall network performance. The invention provides the originating node address in a controlled field of the data packet, with unused data bits within the control field being used as "rouge packet bits." The invention will include one or more nodes designated as "rouge data packet removal nodes" or "rouge removal nodes." A data packet is created at an originating node which will embed its own address in a "Node ID" field of the data packet and will transmit the data packet along the network.