Method and apparatus for unifying an EPON access network and a coax based access network

摘要

Methods and systems for unifying an EPON network and a coax-based access network may include, in a network with an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) optical line terminal (OLT), coaxial network units (CNUs), and an optical coax bridge (OCB) with a plurality of virtual optical network units (vONUs) each comprising a plurality of logical link identifiers (LLIDs) and having its own MAC address, each vONU corresponding to one CNU: forming, in the OCB, each of the plurality of vONUs when a respective CNU is admitted to a coax network coupled to the OCB; communicating data transmissions from an optical fiber network to the coax network, and data transmissions from the coax network to the optical fiber network, via said OCB; and transmitting and receiving data packets between the OLT and the at least one CNU. The OCB may emulate an optical network unit (ONU) relative to the OLT.