Method for increasing performance on a dedicated multi-speed Ethernet link segment

摘要

A method for reducing errors on an Ethernet network multi-speed link segment and thereby increasing network stability and performance. An error rate on the link segment is evaluated. When the error rate exceeds a threshold, the link segment is automatically reconfigured to operate at a lower speed Ethernet implementation. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the error rate may be evaluated by one or both of the network entities coupled to the link segment. For example, the network entity could be a switch or a hub. Also, when the network entity is part of a personal computer having an Ethernet interface card, the evaluation of the error rate may be performed by the card of Ethernet driver software.