Abstract: A telecommunications access module comprises at least one bonding engine that receives packet data and bonds subscriber line pairs together to form a bonding group over which packet fragments are transmitted. A database maintains a list of communications subscriber line pairs that form the bonding group. A processor is configured to determine whether an incoming packet subject to fragmentation is long enough to fragment across multiple subscriber line pairs. If the incoming packet can be fragmented, the processor is configured to calculate a cost function for minimum packet fragment sizes that is proportional to the end-of-fragment arrival time at the far end of each subscriber line pair and calculate remainders of packet fragment length. The packet is fragmented based on the calculated cost function and remainders of any packet fragment lengths and allocated to the subscriber line pairs and transmitted.

Abstract: A system and method transmits data and receives data packets within a bonding engine. The data packets are fragmented into a plurality of packet fragments for communication across a bonded group of subscriber lines. A Frame Check Sequence (FCS) in the data packet is inverted on one direction of the bonding group to prevent any data packets from propagating towards the network during a loopback condition.