Patent ID: 7012899

Claim:
A method for the automatic configuration of a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modem connected to an analog telephone line, comprising: automatically determining available communication on said analog telephone line, comprising the steps of automatically detecting if a DSL communication circuit exists on said analog telephone line and automatically identifying a virtual communications route for communications between said DSL modem and a communications network; and automatically configuring said DSL modem based on said available communication resources; wherein said step of automatically detecting if a DSL communication circuit exists on said analog telephone line comprises the steps of: establishing a first connection between a first pair of wires of said analog telephone line and said DSL modem; ascertaining whether a DSL communication circuit exists on said first connection; generating a second connection between a second pair of wires of said analog telephone line and said DSL modem; testing whether a remote DSL communication circuit exists on said second connection; and storing results of said ascertaining and testing steps as at least part of said available communication resources; and wherein said step of automatically identifying a virtual communication route for communications between said DSL modem and a communications network comprises the steps of: transmitting every Virtual Path Identifier/Virtual Channel Identifier (VPI/VCI) described in a list stored in the DSL modem to the communications network in an associated test cell; after transmitting every VPI/VCI described in the list, acquiring a response cell from the communications network, the response cell being the first response cell received in response to the transmission of every VPI/VCI described in the list; matching the VPI/VCI of the response cell to a VPI/VCI described in the list; using the VPI/VCI to communicate between the DSL modem and the communications network.