A node of a network comprises an error message detector arranged to detect error
messages transmitted over the network, a counter arranged to count the error messages
in order to produce an error message count, and a controller arranged to count
valid messages in order to produce a count of valid messages. The controller is
arranged to compare the error message count to the valid message count to indicate
the health of the network. The node further comprises a transceiver, a controller
coupled to the transceiver by a receive line and a transmit line, and error message
first logic coupled to the receive and transmit lines. The error message first
logic is arranged to detect a first error message from the receive line and a second
error message from the transmit line, and to determine whether the node is closest
to a fault by comparing timing between the first error message and the second error message.