Network interface failure detection

[lakshmi]

Hi,

Does anybody know about a means by which 
it can be found out whether a network 
interface card has failed or somebody has
pulled out the ethernet cable?

For example, there is a routing socket API
using which it can be found if a route was
added or not. 

Similarly will the IP layer or the data link
layer report some sort of an indication of
the ethernet card fails? Is it possible to
detect at the IP layer or at the data link
layer if the ethernet cable was pulled out?

Thanks.

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