A packet architecture, communication system, and method are provided for determining
the location at which a network is disrupted, disabled, and/or severed. The packet
can contain control bits and error identification bits which note the location
at which disturbance exists, and informs the originating module to take alternative
path if necessary. The alternative path can be applied to either re-sending the
existing packet or sending future packets between certain modules connected to
the network, wherein the network preferably includes one or more ring topologies
interconnected with one another between termination devices. The termination devices
allow communication across subnets which form an intranet or across a global system,
or internet. Although redundant transmission channels are used, each transmission
channel preferably does not send redundant packets, nor are the transmission channels
dedicated as uni-directional. Instead, each of the redundant transmission channels
can send dissimilar packets in a bi-directional fashion.
