An apparatus comprising: a line card with a first section, wherein the first section comprises: a section and line termination circuit (320, 438) configured to perform section and line termination, and framing and overhead processing for a first protocol signal; an integrated circuit chip (316, 426) configured to encapsulate and map an Ethernet signal into the first protocol signal; switches (418, 422) configured to: route the Ethernet signal to the integrated circuit chip; route the first protocol signal to the section and line termination circuit; route second protocol signals to the section and line termination circuit; a pluggable interface; a first daughter card configured to plug into the pluggable interface comprising: a multiport optics module (308, 408) comprising a plurality of ports and configured to receive either the Ethernet signal or second protocol signals; a configurable clock and data recovery module (312, 412) configured to: recover the Ethernet signal from the multiport optics module and pass the Ethernet signal to the switches when the configurable clock and data recovery module is configured for Ethernet signals; and receive the second protocol signals of various bandwidths when the configurable clock and data recovery module is configured for second protocol signals and deliver the second protocol signals at a different second protocol bandwidth to the switches. a line card with a first section, wherein the first section comprises: a section and line termination circuit (320, 438) configured to perform section and line termination, and framing and overhead processing for a first protocol signal; an integrated circuit chip (316, 426) configured to encapsulate and map an Ethernet signal into the first protocol signal; switches (418, 422) configured to: route the Ethernet signal to the integrated circuit chip; route the first protocol signal to the section and line termination circuit; route second protocol signals to the section and line termination circuit; a pluggable interface; a section and line termination circuit (320, 438) configured to perform section and line termination, and framing and overhead processing for a first protocol signal; an integrated circuit chip (316, 426) configured to encapsulate and map an Ethernet signal into the first protocol signal; switches (418, 422) configured to: route the Ethernet signal to the integrated circuit chip; route the first protocol signal to the section and line termination circuit; route second protocol signals to the section and line termination circuit; route the Ethernet signal to the integrated circuit chip; route the first protocol signal to the section and line termination circuit; route second protocol signals to the section and line termination circuit; a pluggable interface; a first daughter card configured to plug into the pluggable interface comprising: a multiport optics module (308, 408) comprising a plurality of ports and configured to receive either the Ethernet signal or second protocol signals; a configurable clock and data recovery module (312, 412) configured to: recover the Ethernet signal from the multiport optics module and pass the Ethernet signal to the switches when the configurable clock and data recovery module is configured for Ethernet signals; and receive the second protocol signals of various bandwidths when the configurable clock and data recovery module is configured for second protocol signals and deliver the second protocol signals at a different second protocol bandwidth to the switches. a multiport optics module (308, 408) comprising a plurality of ports and configured to receive either the Ethernet signal or second protocol signals; a configurable clock and data recovery module (312, 412) configured to: recover the Ethernet signal from the multiport optics module and pass the Ethernet signal to the switches when the configurable clock and data recovery module is configured for Ethernet signals; and receive the second protocol signals of various bandwidths when the configurable clock and data recovery module is configured for second protocol signals and deliver the second protocol signals at a different second protocol bandwidth to the switches. recover the Ethernet signal from the multiport optics module and pass the Ethernet signal to the switches when the configurable clock and data recovery module is configured for Ethernet signals; and receive the second protocol signals of various bandwidths when the configurable clock and data recovery module is configured for second protocol signals and deliver the second protocol signals at a different second protocol bandwidth to the switches.