NETWORK INTERFACE DEVICE HAVING PRIMARY AND BACKUP INTERFACES FOR AUTOMATIC DIAL BACKUP UPON LOSS OF A PRIMARY CONNECTION AND METHOD OF USING SAME

摘要

A network interface device(140) to connect a network to a virtual private network comprises a primary interface to a public network, such as an Ethernet interface to a WAN or the Internet, and a secondary, back-up interface to the public network. The secondary back-up connection is activated automatically when the primary connection fails (146). The network interface device (140) may be provided with further functionality that enables secure communication (144) over both the primary and secondary connection.