Patent ID: 8422887

Claim:
A system for redundancy in Ethernet passive optical networks (EPONs) comprising: (a) at least one optical networking unit (ONU), wherein when said ONU is in a normal state said ONU monitors input communications on an encrypted path that is encrypted with a first encryption key from a first OLT and uses a first timestamp to avoid deregistration by the first OLT, and wherein when said input communications are quiet for a predetermined minimum length of time said ONU transitions to a lenient state, said transition independent of said first OLT, said lenient state in which: (i) said ONU decrypts using said first encryption key and a second encryption key from a second OLT; (ii) upon transmitting a packet said ONU uses said first encryption key to encrypt the transmitted packet; and (iii) upon receiving a packet: (A) said ONU updates an ONU timestamp based on said packet's timestamp and begins to use the updated ONU timestamp to avoid deregistration by said second OLT; and (B) said ONU transitions to said normal state of operation; wherein while said ONU is in said lenient state, if said input communications are quiet for a predetermined given length of time said ONU transitions to a deregistered state.