Patent ID: 7620836

Claim:
A method for synchronizing devices in an access network, the access network including a head end and a plurality of end nodes which utilize at least one upstream channel and at least one downstream channel for communicating with the head end, the access network further including a plurality of fiber nodes interposed between the head end and the plurality of end nodes, each fiber node being configured to communicate with the head end and the plurality of end nodes via the upstream and downstream channels, wherein at least a portion of the fiber nodes each include local clock circuitry for generating a local clock signal, the method comprising: providing a common clock reference signal to the local clock circuitry in selected fiber nodes to thereby cause each of the selected fiber nodes to be synchronized to the common clock reference signal; wherein the common clock reference signal is distributed to the selected fiber nodes including a distributed cable modem termination system (DCMTS); and wherein the DCMTS is operable to communicate with the head end using baseband optical signals.