A customer communications node for use in a wireline network, the wireline network having electrically conducting twisted wire pair interconnections between a plurality of customer communications nodes distributed amongst a plurality of customer premises , such that the plurality of customer communications nodes are customer premises equipment (CPE) interconnected in a linear manner across the plurality of customer premises, the customer communications node being connectable to at least one communication device and comprising: a first communication port for connection with a first electrically conducting twisted wire pair interconnection ; a second communication port for connection with a second electrically conducting twisted wire pair interconnection ; at least one device interface for connecting to the at least one communication device; and an add/drop multiplexer adapted to: a) drop DSL packet data received via at least one of the first communication port and the second communication port if the packet data is in respect of communication to the at least one communication device and/or the customer communications node; b) pass through received DSL packet data over at least one of the first communication port and the second communication port if the received packet data is not in respect of communication to the at least one communication device and/or the customer communications node; and c) add DSL packet data via at least one of the first communication port and the second communication port , the packet data being in respect of communication from the at least one communication device and/or the customer communications node. a first communication port for connection with a first electrically conducting twisted wire pair interconnection ; a second communication port for connection with a second electrically conducting twisted wire pair interconnection ; at least one device interface for connecting to the at least one communication device; and an add/drop multiplexer adapted to: a) drop DSL packet data received via at least one of the first communication port and the second communication port if the packet data is in respect of communication to the at least one communication device and/or the customer communications node; b) pass through received DSL packet data over at least one of the first communication port and the second communication port if the received packet data is not in respect of communication to the at least one communication device and/or the customer communications node; and c) add DSL packet data via at least one of the first communication port and the second communication port , the packet data being in respect of communication from the at least one communication device and/or the customer communications node. a) drop DSL packet data received via at least one of the first communication port and the second communication port if the packet data is in respect of communication to the at least one communication device and/or the customer communications node; b) pass through received DSL packet data over at least one of the first communication port and the second communication port if the received packet data is not in respect of communication to the at least one communication device and/or the customer communications node; and c) add DSL packet data via at least one of the first communication port and the second communication port , the packet data being in respect of communication from the at least one communication device and/or the customer communications node. <EOS>