Abstract: A physical layer router comprises a plurality of subscriber ports, a plurality of dsp pool ports, a switch, isolation circuitry, a tone detector, and control logic. The control logic comprises a microprocessor interface. The physical layer router couples at least some of the plurality of subscriber ports to at least some of the plurality of dsp pool pools. The physical layer router connects every subscriber port not coupled to a dsp pool port to a snoop bus. Tones are detected on the snoop bus. The tones comprise request tones from customer premise equipment devices connected to the plurality of subscriber ports. Exactly one subscriber port is isolated, whereby exactly one customer premise equipment device generating the request tone is isolated. A dsp pool port is coupled to the isolated subscriber port. A fast line acquisition method finds one subscriber port of the plurality of subscriber ports receiving the request tones.

Abstract: High-speed data transfer rates are provided between a central office and customer premise equipment with a multiplexer that is interposed between the central office and the customer premise equipment, and that functions as a remote access node. The multiplexer communicates at high data rates via downstream data links such as twisted-pair conductors between the multiplexer and the customer premise equipment. By positioning the multiplexer physically close to the customer premise equipment, DSL data rates can be achieved. In one application, the multiplexer assigns a variable number of the upstream data links between the central office and the multiplexer on a dynamic, adaptive, and automatic basis to individual ones of the downstream data links. In this way, unused data link capacity of the upstream data links is used to provide high data transmission rates when required between the multiplexer and the central office.