Abstract: A fast recovery extended method is used to enhance the performance of TCP fast recovery when multiple segment losses occur within a single round trip time between a TCP sender and a TCP receiver. A TCP fast recovery process is performed by a TCP sender, and then a TCP fast recovery extended process is performed by the TCP sender upon receiving acknowledgement of receipt of new data from a TCP receiver in the TCP fast recovery process. The fast recovery extended process determines, following receipt of the acknowledgement of receipt of new data, an excess number of duplicate acknowledgements based upon a count of consecutive duplicate acknowledgement packets. The fast recovery extended process takes a network packet transmission recovery action based upon the excess number of duplicate acknowledgements, and then stores the excess number of duplicate acknowledgements as a number of duplicate acknowledgements for further use.

Abstract: In a data packet, e.g. a PDU of the UMTS, a length indicator field of variable granularity is created, depending on the exact length of the payload to be transmitted. An additional field is provided, a single bit in length, to indicate the granularity of the length indicator field. This increases the resolution of the header, whilst keeping low an overhead of extra field bits. The method comprises: assessing the length of the data to determine the appropriate units, from a plurality of possible units, in which the length should be expressed; setting the granularity field to define the appropriate units in which the length of the data is to be indicated; and setting the length indicator field to indicate the data length.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for enabling a line card to support multiple ports, multiple rates, and multiple protocols within an optical network system are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a line card that is suitable for incorporation into one of a multi-slot broadband digital cross-connect system or a multiservice provisioning platform includes a first port and a plurality of devices. The first port is arranged to be provisioned to accept an input signal which may be one of a signal of a first protocol and a signal of a second protocol. The plurality of devices being arranged to process the input signal to create an output signal which has a SONET payload. In one embodiment, the signal of the first protocol is an OC-n signal and the signal of the second protocol is a Gigabit Ethernet signal.

Abstract: A system and method for proxying Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (“DHCP”) network services for a network device, such as, a customer premise equipment entity, on a network device, such as, a cable modem, include creating a specialized proxy task for the customer premise equipment entity on the cable modem. One method of the present invention includes intercepting DHCP message flow between a customer premise equipment having a specialized proxy task created on the cable modem and a DHCP server selected by the customer premise equipment entity. The methods further include modifying lease time intervals prior to providing a routable network address lease to a customer premise equipment entity and renewing an initial lease for the customer premise equipment entity by a cable modem prior to expiration of the lease time interval provided by a DHCP server. The methods include using known protocols, such as, for example, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.

Abstract: Broadband switching including the implementation of and control over a massive sub-microsecond switching fabric. To effect the attributes of the switching fabric, conditionally nonblocking components are used a building-blocks in an interconnection network which is recursively constructed. The properties of the interconnection network are preserved during each recursion to thereby configure the massive switching fabric from scalable circuitry.

Abstract: In a connection oriented mode communication system, a communication connection is established as an alternative connection substitutive for a currently working communication connection so that the alternative connection connects the couple of node apparatus connected through the currently working communication connection to each other by way of a route physically different from that of the currently working communication connection. According to the above arrangement, it becomes possible to carry out maintenance, moving of facility or the like of a network including the currently working connection without interrupting the service which is provided through the currently working connection.

Abstract: According to the principles of the invention, there is provided a system, apparatus, and method for detecting spurious network traffic. In a system according to the principles of the invention, a switch such as a router constructs a routing tree for each other switch connected thereto. When a network packet is received, the switch inspects the source address of the packet, and determines whether the forwarding switch or network interface could be expected to deliver a network packet from the indicated address. If it appears from this analysis that the network packet should not have come from the forwarding switch, then certain measures may be taken to address the situation. For example, the network packet may be dropped, an alarm may be generated to the forwarding switch, or an alarm may be generated to an automated or human network supervisor.

Abstract: Lookup scheme in which a tuple representing a plurality of flow properties is parsed into multiple subtuples for application in recursive lookups. A first subtuple including a first subset of bits from the tuple is applied to the flow information database and returns a result including a nickname having a smaller bit count than the first subtuple. A second subtuple including a second subset of bits from the tuple and the nickname are combined and applied to the flow information database. The lookups continue until a result indicates that no recursion is required. The final lookup result includes flow information applicable to one or more of modifying, enqueuing or forwarding the packet. A truncated lookup capability enables common processing across a group of distinct flows having common flow properties.

Abstract: Restricting the assignment of VLANs so that a unique VLAN or set of VLANs must be assigned to each link for a particular network circuit (NC) or group of NCs. NCs are prevented from being assignd a particular VLAN if the addition of the VLAN assignment will create a mix-match topology, which may either create a loop or prevent a loop from being able to be properly blocked without inadvertently blocking a link of another NC. Restriction of VLAN assignment allow a single conventional spanning tree to be run to ensure that there are no layer 2 forwarding loops exist while at the same time not inadvertently blocking the path of another NC.

Abstract: A method for switching a plurality of packet-oriented signals and an apparatus for performing the method includes supplying a signal to port units, each having ports, at one port, some ports, or all ports. A signal is connected from one port to another port of another unit by a central switching unit. Signal transmission therebetween is performed by transmission of data blocks. Each port unit ascertains the address information item for each packet supplied and uses the item to determine the appropriate receiving port unit. Each port unit stores the data packet in a buffer memory, compiles availability information and transmits it to the switching unit, which evaluates availability and ascertains further transmission without blocking occurring. The switching unit connects the necessary paths between the transmitting and receiving port units and transmits the packets/cells through the paths.

Abstract: A system and method of serving text-based data messages to a caller identification (caller ID) system in a telecommunications network environment may overwrite source-specific information in a selected data packet header field with text-based message data. A protocol translator may enable text data to be served to a caller ID system used in conjunction with a plain old telephone service (POTS) telephone as well as with a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) device. Text messages addressed and routed to a caller ID enabled device may be displayed on the caller ID display.

Abstract: A method and system for bandwidth management in a packet-based network utilizes processing based on bandwidth management policies defined by subscribers and service providers. This method and system allow a subscriber to control the bandwidth available for sessions in near-real time and simplify provisioning at hubs and gateways by allowing the voice/data bandwidth ratio to be established independently of the provisioned bandwidth for voice and data. Bandwidth management policies are stored in the database of the service manager. When a request for modification of the maximum bandwidth parameter for an access hub is received, a mid-call event is detected or a new session is attempted by a subscriber, the service manager determines the current bandwidth utilization and whether this current bandwidth utilization exceeds the maximum bandwidth defined. If the new maximum bandwidth is exceeded, the service manager performs policy processing.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for improving data transfer performance over communications networks connecting data networks and users using adaptive communications formatting. Adaptive communications formatting includes encoding (or compressing) the data and applying error control schemes to reduce the amount of data being transmitted and to correct and/or conceal errors occurring during data transmission. In one embodiment, the present invention uses a set of transcoding techniques to encode (or compress) the data and a set of error control schemes to correct and/or conceal errors occurring during data transmission. The particular sets of transcoding techniques and error control schemes selected to format the data are adaptive to factors, such as the nature of the communications network connecting a user to an access server on the data network, the preferences of the user, and the data type of the data being transmitted to the user (or the access server).

Abstract: A test scanner located where it does not directly receive GPS signals relies on a second device, a reference transmitter with a GPS receiver, to provide time information. The reference transmitter has an internal GPS synchronized clock and a pilot transmission pattern that serves as a marker. The reference transmitter is positioned within close proximity to the test scanner. The reference transmitter periodically receives GPS signals and sets its reference internal clock accordingly. This reference transmitter transmits its highly recognizable signal with time synchronization information. The test scanner, able to distinguish between the reference pilot and base station pilot signals, receives the marked signal and uses the timing information to set the test scanner's internal clock. The test scanner can then perform a pilot scan of one or more CDMA base station pilot channels.

Abstract: The invention provides a communication control device that includes a self-diagnostic test circuit capable of executing an operation test. The communication control circuit includes a PHY circuit on an LSI with little trouble, and at a operating speed that is equivalent to actual operation. The self-diagnostic test circuit includes: test data creation circuit for creating test data; expected value data creation circuit for creating expected values of the test data after processing; an arbitration signal switching circuit that switches arbitration signals such that test data supplied from the output driver can be received by a receiver of the same twisted-pair drive block as the output driver; and a comparison circuit that compares test data supplied from an output driver and received by a receiver of the same twisted-pair drive block as the output driver with the expected value data and creates match flags.

Abstract: Described is an internetworking system having various mobile ad hoc extensions to the Internet that are particularly suited to the dynamic environment of mobile ad hoc networks. The internetworking system includes any combination of a link-state routing protocol for disseminating topology and link-state information over a multi-hop network comprised of nodes, a neighbor discovery protocol that can detect the appearance and disappearance of new neighbor nodes, an address format that facilitates deployment of IPv6 nodes in a predominantly IPv4 network infrastructure, a queuing mechanism that can update information upon resuming interrupted communications between nodes, and dynamic network measurement techniques for adaptively using wireless bandwidth when establishing and maintaining connections between nodes and a server.

Abstract: A method and apparatus providing improved service in IP networks requiring switch circuit connections by allowing many local systems to establish a switched circuit connection to a remote system without using equal cost routing. The invention detects when a system is over-subscribed (no circuits available for dial-out), congested (lacking other resources to provide dial-out), or more band-width is demanded, and scales to the demand by forcing dial-out from an alternative system. Existence of the new connection is made available to existing systems by updates to system routing tables. The scaling capability is also used to address incoming calls that require a callback from the most appropriate system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a communications network (MPLS-D) with two or more network nodes (ISR1 to ISR3) each provided with a Layer 2 switching element (SW1 to SW3) and a switch controller (SC1 to SC3) for controlling the respective Layer 2 switching element (SW1 to SW3), to such a network node, to such a switch controller, and to a method of supporting shortcuts through such network nodes. The switch controller (SC1) is composed of several independent modules, namely a shortcut control module, at least one trigger module, and at least one protocol module. If respective predetermined criteria are satisfied, the at least one trigger module initiates the assignment of a shortcut, which is formed by a direct Layer 2 connection, to a Layer 3 connection.

Abstract: In an Internet telephone system for implementing bilateral communication over the Internet between telephone sets and communication devices, by causing the telephone sets and the communication devices to connect to a repeater device via a public network so as to establish a communication channel on the Internet via the repeater device, each of the communication devices comprises: a connection unit for dialing one of a remote telephone set and a remote repeater device via the public network when a call is originated within the communication device or by a local telephone set connected to the communication device, so as to establish a connection; and a communication unit for performing data communication over the public network and over the Internet, wherein the repeater device is controlled by the connection unit and the communication unit to establish the communication channel on the Internet so that users of the local telephone set and the remote telephone set may perform speech communication over the Intern

Abstract: Method and apparatus for maintaining synchronization in a CDMA communication system by operating closed loop timing control between a radio base unit and subscriber units, operating open loop timing control between the radio base unit and the subscriber units, and using timing information derived from the open loop to correct the closed loop. Generally the open loop is faster in response than the closed loop. The open loop timing control may be generated by using GPS data. A radio base station and a subscriber unit operating in accordance with these principles.