A procedure that includes: generating, by a frame link module (FLM), in a frame belonging to a group of frames connected in a
ring network, an uplink detection packet comprising information regarding a status and an identifier of a standby uplink port of the FLM (502), wherein the standby uplink port is configured in a Virtual
Local Area Network (VLAN) that is not used by other ports of the
ring network, so that the standby uplink port does not receive packets from the other ports; Determining, by the FLM and based on a
system description of a
Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) packet received by the standby uplink port from a customer network accessing the group of frames in the
ring network, that the standby uplink port has a connection to the customer network (504); forwarding the uplink discovery packet by the FLM to the standby uplink port via a
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) interface of the FLM, wherein the standby uplink port is configured to override the VLAN while forwarding packets received via the
PCI interface (506); Sending the uplink discovery packet by the FLM to the customer network via the standby uplink port, the uplink discovery packet being directed to a
unicast destination address of an owner FLM in the ring network (508); Monitoring the
receipt of the uplink discovery packet from the customer network by the owner FLM via a currently active uplink port in the ring network (510); and Determining, by the owner FLM and based on the successful
receipt of the uplink discovery packet, that the standby uplink port and a set of switches in the customer network between the standby uplink port and the currently active uplink port are correctly configured (512).