When a failure occurs on a path set between two packet communication devices, a protection path is set and the communication is recovered without having the effect of the path failure on devices other than the two packet communication devices. When a packet communication device detects a failure in a transmission line or a path between the device itself and a correspondent packet communication device to restore the communication, at least one of a topology modification notice pending step, in which the fact that the connection with the correspondent packet communication device being disconnected is not reported to the packet communication devices other than the correspondent packet communication device for a prescribed time, and a path restoration step, in which path setting signaling is performed to trigger cooperation of the path communication device and the correspondent packet communication device to set the protection path within the prescribed time, is executed together with a virtual interface setting modification step in which a virtual interface used for the path disconnected by the failure is set to the protection path.