Patent ID: 6665285
Filing Date: 2003-12-16
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
A terminal for a wireless link in a metropolitan area network, the terminal having a broadcast device, the broadcast device comprising:a. a network switch having a first port for receiving data packets from a computer network and a second port for forwarding the data packets; b. rate buffers coupled to the network switch for receiving the data packets from the second port; and c. a wireless transceiver coupled to the rate buffers for receiving the data packets from the rate buffers and for communicating the data packets over the wireless link; further comprising packet buffers coupled to the network switch wherein the network switch selectively stores the data packets in the packet buffers prior to storing the data packets in the rate buffers; wherein the network switch is a layer-two switch; wherein the layer-two switch stores the data packets in the packet buffers in response to a level of space available in the rate buffers; wherein the layer-two switch stores the data packets in the packet buffers in response to rain fade in the wireless link; and wherein the layer-two switch stores the data packets in the packet buffers in response to a detected bit error rate for communication via the wireless link.