Patent ID: 7769908

Claim:
A system comprising: an external data source derived from a network of computers; a router coupled to the external data source and coupled to a first data-source connection; a powerline network apparatus, comprising: a second data-source connection coupled to the first data-source connection; a powerline device coupled to the second data-source connection, the powerline device being adapted to receive and transmit information in a first format from and to the second data-source connection and adapted to receive and transmit information in a second format; a virtual local area network device including a first input/output port and a plurality of second input/output ports, the virtual local area network device being coupled to the powerline device through the first input/output port, each of the plurality of second input/output ports being configured to serve one or more end-users devices and numbered from 1 through N, where N is an integer greater than 1, the virtual local area network device being configured to limit data forwarding between an end user and a downstream network connection; a plurality of modem devices coupled to the virtual local area network device, the plurality of modem devices numbered from 1 through N, each of the plurality of modem devices being coupled respectively to one of the plurality of second input/output ports, each of the plurality of modem devices also being coupled to one of a plurality of powerlines numbered from 1 through N, each of the plurality of powerlines being capable of communicating information to and from the second data-source connection.