Best practices regarding ethernet connection

Hi.

We are developing hardware that is going to be used behind our customers router. Our device is plugged into this router in order to get ethernet connection and sends data to a server.

Since our device is in our customers home we have to take into account that the router can get unplugged, that the dsl line is unstable etc.

So, I wonder if anyone has any experience to share regarding these issues, that is, how to (when possible) always have a reliable ethernet connection and how to check if the connection is down, (no connection to the router, server is down etc) and to reconnect when the connection is available again.

I’m using the EthernetENC28J60 driver.

// taken from mIP by Valkie-MT

This is how windows does it…

http://blog.superuser.com/2011/05/16/windows-7-network-awareness/

Peter - Thanks. Very interesting information!

// and thanks to Valkerie-MT