Abstract: Operations, administration and management (OAM) functions in a passive optical network (PON) can be performed by providing a system of flow points (i.e., software entities), such as those along the lines of the Maintenance End Points (MEPs) and Maintenance Intermediate Points (MIPs) described in the IEEE 802.1ag specification, which communicate connectivity fault test messages with each other. The flow points can be provided in the Optical Line Terminal (OLT) and Optical Network Terminator (ONT). Alternatively or in addition, flow points can be provided in a subscriber gateway coupled to the ONT. The flow points issue test messages, to which other flow points can respond with information regarding the state of network connectivity.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to a method and system for continuous detection of dead and impaired IPTV streams by introducing a hardware block to continuously monitor all IPTV streams for health without software intervention as disclosed in the embodiments herein. Each IPTV packet header is looked up in the multicast forwarding database (TCAM) table. When there are matching entries, the packets are metered and compared with the expected rate for the IPTV stream. A periodic scan of all the meters in hardware is carried out. If any stream is received less than its expected rate, an “impaired error” counter is incremented for the particular stream.

Abstract: A Passive Optical Network (PON) includes an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) and an Optical Line Terminal (OLT). The ONT is configured for providing controlled port operations of authenticator Port Access Entity (PAE) functionality and the OLT is configured for providing entity authentication operations of the authenticator PAE functionality. The controlled port operations of authenticator PAE functionality includes inhibiting transmission of non-authentication messages from the ONT, transmitting a supplicant authentication request to the OLT and enabling transmission of non-authentication messages from the ONT in response to receiving supplicant authentication confirmation. The entity authentication operations of the authenticator PAE functionality include facilitating authentication of an identity of the supplicant and facilitating transmission of supplicant authentication confirmation for reception by the ONT in response to the identity being authenticated.

Abstract: An access node (e.g., Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) and a method are described herein that proactively monitor the connectivity of one or more end devices (e.g., residential gateways). In one embodiment, the access node performs the following: (a) receives continuity check messages from at least one of the end devices; (b) polls the received continuity check messages to ascertain the connectivity of each end device; and (c) if at least one continuity check message is detected as missing from one of the end devices during the polling step, then an alarm message is sent indicating a loss of connectivity to the one end device. Thereafter, an edge router (e.g., Broadband Network Gateway) would receive the alarm message and know there is no longer a connection to the one end device.

Abstract: Operations, administration and management (OAM) functions in a passive optical network (PON) can be performed by providing a system of flow points (i.e., software entities), such as those along the lines of the Maintenance End Points (MEPs) and Maintenance Intermediate Points (MIPs) described in the IEEE 801.1ag specification, which communicate connectivity fault test messages with each other. The flow points can be provided in the Optical Line Terminal (OLT) and Optical Network Terminator (ONT). Alternatively or in addition, flow points can be provided in a subscriber gateway coupled to the ONT. The flow points issue test messages, to which other flow points can respond with information regarding the state of network connectivity.

Abstract: A Passive Optical Network (PON) includes an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) and an Optical Line Terminal (OLT). The ONT is configured for providing controlled port operations of authenticator Port Access Entity (PAE) functionality and the OLT is configured for providing entity authentication operations of the authenticator PAE functionality. The controlled port operations of authenticator PAE functionality includes inhibiting transmission of non-authentication messages from the ONT, transmitting a supplicant authentication request to the OLT and enabling transmission of non-authentication messages from the ONT in response to receiving supplicant authentication confirmation. The entity authentication operations of the authenticator PAE functionality include facilitating authentication of an identity of the supplicant and facilitating transmission of supplicant authentication confirmation for reception by the ONT in response to the identity being authenticated.