Abstract: Disclosed is a method of controlling MACs between a cable modem termination system (CMTS) supporting variable length packet transmission and a cable modem (CM). The present invention switches a scheduling type a specific service session of an inactive state only, thereby enabling to minimize waste of bandwidth according to switching collectively a scheduling type of a plurality of service sessions sharing a single physical channel when the scheduling type is requested to switch.

Abstract: A media access control (MAC) frame structure in a cable network includes a MAC header having various extended header types. A data communication method includes transmitting a first EH_TYPE packet according to the change in the PHS rule to a receiver when the PHS rule changes, checking whether there exists an error in the first EH_TYPE packet, determining whether to apply a new PHS rule on the basis of the first EH_TYPE and transmitting a second EH_TYPE packet to a sender, terminating transmission of a common PHS packet, setting a packet type as a third EH_TYPE, suppressing a packet into a new channel, and transmitting the packet when the second EU—TYPE packet is a success message and setting the packet type as a common MAC packet and transmitting the packet without performing suppression when the second EH_TYPE packet is a failure message.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of controlling MACs between a cable modem termination system (CMTS) supporting variable length packet transmission and a cable modem (CM). The present invention switches a scheduling type a specific service session of an inactive state only, thereby enabling to minimize waste of bandwidth according to switching collectively a scheduling type of a plurality of service sessions sharing a single physical channel when the scheduling type is requested to switch.

Abstract: A media access control (MAC) frame structure and a data communication method in a cable network are provided. According to the MAC frame structure and the data communication method in the cable network, it is possible to reduce unnecessary consumption of resources, caused by the delay of time for transmitting signaling packets when dynamic service change (DSC) signaling is performed in order to initialize payload header suppression, to thus improve the efficiency of use of the resources. The MAC frame structure in the cable network includes a MAC header having various extended header types according to a service flow between a sender and a receiver and a payload data unit (PDU) including parameters according to a payload header suppression (PHS) rule.