Abstract: The present invention includes a network telephone having a microphone coupled to provide voice data to a network, a speaker coupled to facilitate listening to voice data from the network, a dialing device coupled to facilitate routing of voice data upon the network, a first port configured to facilitate communication with a first network device, a second port configured to facilitate communication with a second network device and a prioritization circuit coupled to apply prioritization to voice data provided by the microphone.

Abstract: A network hub in a communication network that acts as a server to network clients to push, or transmit, information regarding the state of local and remote devices and networks. The information can be one, or more, status information, which information can be one or more predefined fields in a frame, which represents a packet of data. In one embodiment, it is desirable that the frame be a “legitimate” Ethernet-type frame. The status field can be a “push”-Type status field. The push operation can be a unicast, a multicast, or a broadcast, or a hybrid transmission. The hub can be a switch, repeater, a bridge, a router, a gateway, or a hybrid thereof. Also, the hub according to the present invention can be an OSI Layer 2 device, an OSI Layer 3 device, or a hybrid thereof. It is desirable that the hub be devoid of a microprocessor. As described herein, the hub may have plural ports, for example, four, eight, or more ports.

Abstract: The present invention includes a network telephone having a microphone coupled to provide voice data to a network, a speaker coupled to facilitate listening to voice data from the network, a dialing device coupled to facilitate routing of voice data upon the network, a first port configured to facilitate communication with a first network device, a second port configured to facilitate communication with a second network device and a prioritization circuit coupled to apply prioritization to voice data provided by the microphone.

Abstract: The present invention includes a network telephone having a microphone coupled to provide voice data to a network, a speaker coupled to facilitate listening to voice data from the network, a dialing device coupled to facilitate routing of voice data upon the network, a first port configured to facilitate communication with a first network device, a second port configured to facilitate communication with a second network device and a prioritization circuit coupled to apply prioritization to voice data provided by the microphone.

Abstract: A network hub in a communication network that acts as a server to network clients to push, or transmit, information regarding the state of local and remote devices and networks. The information can be one, or more, status information, which information can be one or more predefined fields in a frame, which represents a packet of data. In one embodiment, it is desirable that the frame be a “legitimate” Ethernet-type frame. The status field can be a “push”-Type status field. The push operation can be a unicast, a multicast, or a broadcast, or a hybrid transmission. The hub can be a switch, repeater, a bridge, a router, a gateway, or a hybrid thereof. Also, the hub according to the present invention can be an OSI Layer 2 device, an OSI Layer 3 device, or a hybrid thereof. It is desirable that the hub be devoid of a microprocessor. As described herein, the hub may have plural ports, for example, four, eight, or more ports.

Abstract: A network hub in a communication network that acts as a server to network clients to push, or transmit, information regarding the state of local and remote devices and networks. The information can be one, or more, status information, which information can be one or more predefined fields in a frame, which represents a packet of data. In one embodiment, it is desirable that the frame be a “legitimate” Ethernet-type frame. The status field can be a “push”-Type status field. The push operation can be a unicast, a multicast, or a broadcast, or a hybrid transmission. The hub can be a switch, repeater, a bridge, a router, a gateway, or a hybrid thereof. Also, the hub according to the present invention can be an OSI Layer 2 device, an OSI Layer 3 device, or a hybrid thereof. It is desirable that the hub be devoid of a microprocessor. As described herein, the hub may have plural ports, for example, four, eight, or more ports.

Abstract: A method for preserving flow order is presented, the method comprising receiving up to a plurality of indications denoting commencement of frame transmission on a corresponding plurality of communication links, identifying that one or more of the received frames denote the start of a flow condition, and dedicating a receive buffer from a plurality of receive buffers to receive all frames associated with the identified flow condition.

Abstract: A method for preserving frame order across an aggregated link comprised of a plurality of virtual links each supporting a particular transmission rate is presented comprising receiving up to a plurality of indications denoting commencement of frame transmission on each of the virtual links, and assigning a plurality of pointer values to a corresponding plurality of records in a pointer value buffer associated with each of the virtual links based, at least in part, on the relative order in which data frames are transmitted on each of the virtual links.

Abstract: A method for preserving frame order of a plurality of frames transmitted over a plurality of communication links is presented. In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the method includes receiving up to a plurality of indications denoting commencement of frame transmission on a corresponding plurality of communication links, and assigning a pointer value to a record in a buffer for each of said frames based, at least in part, on a relative order in which the indications are received.

Abstract: A method for preserving frame order across an aggregated link comprising receiving up to a plurality of indications denoting commencement of frame transmission on each of a plurality of virtual links each associated with a particular quality of service level comprising the aggregated link, and assigning a plurality of pointer values to a corresponding plurality of records in an appropriate ones of a plurality of pointer value buffers associated with the corresponding plurality of virtual links based, at least in part, on the relative order in which data frames are transmitted on each of the links.

Abstract: The present invention includes a network telephone having a microphone coupled to provide voice data to a network, a speaker coupled to facilitate listening to voice data from the network, a dialing device coupled to facilitate routing of voice data upon the network, a first port configured to facilitate communication with a first network device, a second port configured to facilitate communication with a second network device and a prioritization circuit coupled to apply prioritization to voice data provided by the microphone.

Abstract: The present invention includes a network telephone having a microphone coupled to provide voice data to a network, a speaker coupled to facilitate listening to voice data from the network, a dialing device coupled to facilitate routing of voice data upon the network, a first port configured to facilitate communication with a first network device, a second port configured to facilitate communication with a second network device and a prioritization circuit coupled to apply prioritization to voice data provided by the microphone.

Abstract: A media independent interface for interconnecting an integrated repeater front-end with one or more integrated interface devices, each having several physical layer devices for operation in conformance with IEEE 802.3u. The media independent interface, in a repeater implementation, shares transmit and receive data channels, and provides for dedicated control signals, thereby multiplexing shared channels across all of the physical layer devices in the integrated interface device.

Abstract: A method for preserving flow order is presented, the method comprising receiving up to a plurality of indications denoting commencement of frame transmission on a corresponding plurality of communication links, identifying that one or more of the received frames denote the start of a flow condition, and dedicating a receive buffer from a plurality of receive buffers to receive all frames associated with the identified flow condition.

Abstract: A method and arrangement for queuing data in a prioritized manner has a queue with a single queue write side in which data entries are input to the queue. The queue also has a plurality of queue read sides, with each read side having a different priority level. An entry exiting from the queue write side is examined to determine the priority level of the entry, and then placed into the queue read side with the matching priority level as the entry. The queue read sides form the output of the queue, and are polled and emptied so that the higher priority queues are emptied completely before emptying lower priority queues.

Abstract: A network switch configured for switching data packets across multiple ports uses an address table to generate frame forwarding information. The address table includes a virtual local area network index field. A decision-making engine receives a VLAN ID from a frame and converts the VLAN ID to a VLAN index and searches the address table for data forwarding information based on the generated VLAN index. The switch may be modified to support any number of VLANs by varying the size of the VLAN index field in the address table with minimal changes to the architecture of the switch.

Abstract: A digital delay line, comprising adjustable digital delay elements, receives and buffers an incoming bit stream by repeatedly delaying bits of the bit stream for a specific period of time. The outputs of selected adjustable digital delay elements are tapped for inspecting in parallel a specific pattern of bits of the bit stream. A programmable counter counts bit periods and generates a latch control signal to latch those specific bits at any offset within the bit stream before the entirety of the bit stream is received.

Abstract: A network switch having a shared memory architecture for storing data frames has a set of programmable thresholds that specify when flow control should be initiated on a selected network port. The network switch includes a queue for storing free frame pointers, each specifying available memory locations in an external memory for storing data frames received from a network station. The network switch takes a frame pointer from a free buffer queue for each received data frame, and stores the received data frame in the location in external memory specified by the frame pointer while a decision making engine within the switch determines the appropriate destination ports.

Abstract: A network having a shared memory architecture for storing data frames has a set of programmable thresholds that specify when flow control should be initiated on full-duplex network ports. The network switch includes a queue for storing free frame pointers that specify available memory locations in an external memory for storing data frames received from a network station. The network switch takes a frame pointer from a free buffer queue for each received data frame, and stores the received data frame in the location in external memory specified by the frame pointer while a decision making engine within the switch determines the appropriate destination ports. Flow control is initiated based on the number of available frame pointers by transmitting a PAUSE frame having a selected PAUSE interval to a transmitting network station.

Abstract: Management data is supplied to a management agent by a network switch by generating management packets having at least a portion of a received data packet, and management information specifying receive status and network switch response characteristics to the corresponding received data packet. The network switch includes a plurality of network ports, including network traffic ports and one management port for synthesizing the management frame. A network traffic port receiving a data packet generates receive status data specifying the reception status of the received data packet, including the presence of cyclic redundancy check (CRC) errors, frame alignment errors, and receive buffer overflow conditions. The received data packet and received status data are stored in a buffer memory, while switching logic generates port vectors specifying destination output ports and switching logic data specifying the switching logic response to the received data packet.