Patent ID: 8737300

Claim:
A method for routing and switching signals, the method comprising: providing a plurality of digital remote units, each configured to transmit one or more downlink channel signals and to receive one or more uplink channel signals; providing at least one digital access unit configured to communicate with at least two of the plurality of digital remote units; linking in a loop configuration the plurality of digital remote units and the at least one digital access unit, whereby the plurality of digital remote units and the at least one digital access unit are daisy-chained in the loop configuration such that each digital remote unit is linked to a next digital remote unit or the digital access unit by a single bi-directional optical fiber and each digital remote unit is configured to be accessed in either direction around the loop configuration; and routing and switching packetized signals among the plurality of digital remote units and the at least one digital access unit, wherein a first digital remote unit of the plurality of digital remote units receives a first number of downlink channel signals on a first bi-directional optical fiber from the at least one digital access unit, and a second digital remote unit of the plurality of digital remote units receives a second number of downlink channel signals on a second bi-directional optical fiber from the at least one digital access unit, where the first number of downlink channel signals is different from the second number of downlink channel signals.