Patent ID: 7173935

Claim:
A method for operating a last leg utility grid high-speed data communication network to provide high-speed data communication service to a number of power line gateways, the method comprising: segregating the number of power line gateways serviced by the last leg utility grid high-speed data communication network into a plurality of groups of power line gateways, wherein each group of power line gateways of the plurality of groups of power line gateways receives high-speed data communication service via a respective utility grid segment; for each group of power line gateways of the plurality of groups of power line gateways, servicing the group of power line gateways with a respective port of a power line termination module; for each power line gateway of each group of power line gateways of the plurality of groups of power line gateways, establishing a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) between the power line gateway and a respective port of the power line termination module; and for each data packet received at the power line termination module that is intended for a serviced power line gateway: determining a servicing port of the power line termination module for the serviced power line gateway; determining a VLAN identifier for the serviced power line gateway; formatting the data packet for transmission to the serviced power line gateway to include the VLAN identifier; and transmitting the data packet to the serviced power line gateway via the servicing port.