Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for automatically configuring media connection of a first node device in a network, wherein the first node device and a second node device connected to the first node device both have at least a first pair and a second pair of connectors for transceiving data, the apparatus comprising a switch device, switching the configuration of the connectors in response to a control signal or an inhibiting signal, wherein the first and second pair of connectors of the first node device are connected to the first and second pair of connectors of the second node device respectively when the connectors are in the first configuration and the first and second pair of connectors of the first node device are connected to the second and first pair of connectors of the second node device respectively when the connectors are in the second configuration; a control signal generator, generating the control signal for controlling the switch device according to a random value comprising a plu

Abstract: A switch controller controlled by a Link layer protocol is provided. The controller does not occupy any IP address, and is capable of parsing control frames based on the Link layer protocol. The controller comprises: a reception unit for receiving a packet; a parsing unit for parsing a control frame in the packet and for generating a control signal based on the control frame; a packet buffer for storing the packet; a protocol-processing unit for modifying the control frame based on the control signal; and a transmission unit for transmitting the packet after being processed by the protocol-processing unit.