Abstract: In one embodiment, a smart small form-factor pluggable (SSFP) transceiver—compatible with SFP size, power, and interconnection standards—includes an optical transceiver, an electrical connector, a protocol processing engine, and a CPU. The SSFP transceiver is configured for use at a client site having no network interface device (NID). The SSFP transceiver (1) mates to a client's network device at an electrical interface within the network device and (2) connects to a network provider's central office (CO) node via an optical cable at an optical interface. The SSFP transceiver is configured to (1) be powered by the network device, (2) power-up upon mating with the network device, (3) be configured by a remote management agent (RMA) of the network provider for communication with the provider network, (4) respond to/generate Operation, Administration, and Management (OAM) messages from/for the CO node, and (5) provide OAM demarcation functions of a conventional NID.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a smart small form-factor pluggable (SSFP) transceiver—compatible with SFP size, power, and interconnection standards—includes an optical transceiver, an electrical connector, a protocol processing engine, and a CPU. The SSFP transceiver is configured for use at a client site having no network interface device (NID). The SSFP transceiver (1) mates to a client's network device at an electrical interface within the network device and (2) connects to a network provider's central office (CO) node via an optical cable at an optical interface. The SSFP transceiver is configured to (1) be powered by the network device, (2) power-up upon mating with the network device, (3) be configured by a remote management agent (RMA) of the network provider for communication with the provider network, (4) respond to/generate Operation, Administration, and Management (OAM) messages from/for the CO node, and (5) provide OAM demarcation functions of a conventional NID.

Abstract: A system for transporting downstream and upstream traffic between service providers and end user terminals is provided. The system may include an apparatus having multiple egress ports configured for transmitting downstream traffic received from the service providers towards nodes adapted for replicating the traffic, at one network layer, and further transmitting the replicated traffic toward the end user terminals. The system may further include a merging unit coupled to ingress port of another apparatus receiving upstream traffic from the user end terminals, where the merging unit is adapted for merging the upstream traffic, at a different network layer, according to which service provider the upstream traffic received from the end user terminals is intended to and for transmitting the merged traffic toward the service providers.

Abstract: The invention includes a system for transporting type one traffic downstream from a service provider router to end user terminals by replicating the type one traffic at a first network layer and transporting type two traffic upstream from the end user terminals to the service provider router by merging the type two traffic at a second network layer, where the first and second network layers are different. One apparatus according to the invention includes a plurality of unidirectional egress ports configurable for transmitting type one traffic towards a plurality of type one nodes adapted for replicating the type one configurable for receiving type two traffic, and a merging unit coupled to the plurality of unidirectional ingress ports, wherein the merging unit is adapted for merging the type two traffic at a second network layer.