Abstract: A virtual ethernet interface interconnects a first computer at a customer premise with an ethernet local area network (LAN) at a central office that is connected to the customer premise via a digital subscriber line (DSL). The virtual ethernet interface comprises a virtual interface card connected to the first computer and a physical interface card connected to a second computer that is in communication with the ethernet hub. On start up, the central office computer sends the MAC address associated with the ethernet interface of the physical interface card back to the virtual interface card of the first computer. Thus, the virtual ethernet interface allows the first computer to form ethernet frames using the MAC address of the physical interface card so that it appear as though they were originated from the second computer. Further, the first computer can receive frames taken from the ethernet LAN by the physical interface card and transmitted to the virtual interface card over the DSL link.

Abstract: A digital subscriber line (DSL) access device management information base (MIB) allows the remote management of a DSL access device by using a constructed enterprise DSL MIB to define a plurality of objects that describe the operation of a DSL access device. These objects are used to monitor the performance of, and if desired, send commands to the DSL access device.