Patent ID: 7697429

Claim:
A cable modem comprising: memory configured to store a configuration file; a network port configured to communicate with a cable network via a cable modem termination system (CMTS); a plurality of input ports, each input port configured to communicate with a communication device, wherein the configuration file includes logic for defining a service flow for data transmission on the network port based on one or more input ports wherein both data and address resolution protocol (ARP) messages are serviced according to said service flow for data transmission on the network port based on the one or more input ports; applying a first classifier within the service flow, the classifier including a first field based on a one of the plurality of input ports to a routing device; and applying a second field to the first classifier, the second field based on an identification of an ARP message, wherein ARP messages from the one of the plurality of input ports are classified according to the first classifier.