Patent ID: 7693144

Claim:
A method for implementing Ethernet service, the method comprising: configuring a bridged network to support virtual private local area network (LAN) services (VPLS), the bridged network comprising a plurality of bridging network elements coupled by links, wherein: each of the plurality of bridging network elements comprises a respective plurality of ports, the plurality of ports comprising at least one customer port and at least one network port; and the configuring, for each of the plurality of bridging network elements, comprises: assigning to each of the at least one customer port of the bridging network element a respective port virtual LAN identifier (PVID), the bridging network element configured to assign the PVID to data frames entering the bridged network through the customer port, wherein: when the at least one customer port comprises only one customer port, then the respective PVID assigned to the only one customer port differs from PVIDs assigned to all other customer ports of the plurality of bridging network elements; and assigning to each of the at least one network port and the at least one customer port of the bridging network element a respective PVJD membership group comprising one or more PVIDs, wherein the bridging network element is configured to prevent each of the at least one network port from forwarding a frame having a PVID that differs from each PVID in the PVID membership group to other network ports.