A device for preventing optical beat interference when relaying content between a head end and a plurality of subscribers remote from the head end, the device comprising: (a) a unit configured to operate as a splitter in a forward path direction and an active combiner in a reverse path direction, (b) a multiplexer in the forward and reverse paths for receiving both forward path and reverse path signals; (c) the reverse path including: the active combiner having a plurality of ports for receiving respective optical signals from the plurality of subscribers, each port having a wavelength division multiplexer for directing received upstream light to a detector at each port, the combiner for preventing optical beat interference in the reverse path direction by converting each of the respective optical signals received from the plurality of subscribers in to electrical signals prior to combining the individual electrical signals to create a combined electrical signal, and amplifying the combined electrical signal; and a transmitter configured to receive the amplified, combined electrical signal and convert it to a reverse path optical signal for reverse path transmission, wherein in the reverse path the multiplexer is configured to multiplex the reverse path optical signal with a forward path optical signal and in the forward path the multiplexer is configured to demultiplex a received optical signal for splitting downstream on separate fiber links. (a) a unit configured to operate as a splitter in a forward path direction and an active combiner in a reverse path direction, (b) a multiplexer in the forward and reverse paths for receiving both forward path and reverse path signals; (c) the reverse path including: the active combiner having a plurality of ports for receiving respective optical signals from the plurality of subscribers, each port having a wavelength division multiplexer for directing received upstream light to a detector at each port, the combiner for preventing optical beat interference in the reverse path direction by converting each of the respective optical signals received from the plurality of subscribers in to electrical signals prior to combining the individual electrical signals to create a combined electrical signal, and amplifying the combined electrical signal; and a transmitter configured to receive the amplified, combined electrical signal and convert it to a reverse path optical signal for reverse path transmission, wherein in the reverse path the multiplexer is configured to multiplex the reverse path optical signal with a forward path optical signal and in the forward path the multiplexer is configured to demultiplex a received optical signal for splitting downstream on separate fiber links. the active combiner having a plurality of ports for receiving respective optical signals from the plurality of subscribers, each port having a wavelength division multiplexer for directing received upstream light to a detector at each port, the combiner for preventing optical beat interference in the reverse path direction by converting each of the respective optical signals received from the plurality of subscribers in to electrical signals prior to combining the individual electrical signals to create a combined electrical signal, and amplifying the combined electrical signal; and a transmitter configured to receive the amplified, combined electrical signal and convert it to a reverse path optical signal for reverse path transmission,