Conexant Systems, Inc.

Arthur J Bonaker, Jr

Duke Kamstra

A home network controller provides a user-visible indication of the integrity of a physical connection to a home network. The home network controller periodically checks an interrupt status register for receipt of a physical-layer packet. Receipt of a physical-layer packet serves as a proxy for a functional physical connection, and non-receipt of a packet serves as a proxy for a non-functional physical connection. To avoid race conditions, the controller will indicate failure of a previously functional physical connection if no packet was received during the period but a packet was transmitted during the period and a packet was transmitted during the immediately previous period. A heartbeat signal avoids deadlocks by transmitting a packet if the interrupt status register indicates no packets were received or transmitted during the period.

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Placentia, CA, United States of America

Arthur J Bonaker, Jr