Patent ID: 7742397

Claim:
A telephone network system, comprising: a) a pair gain system; b) a digital subscriber line (DSL) system; and c) an interface that protects against electrical abnormalities prior to relaying service from the telephone network system to a subscriber, the interface including: i) a protector field and a protector module; ii) an adapter electrically connected to both the protector field and the protector module; and iii) a cross connect block through which outgoing service signals pass, each outgoing service signal selectively being one of only a pair gain signal from the pair gain system and a combined signal, the combined signal including a pair gain signal from the pair gain system and a DSL signal from the DSL system; iv) wherein the pair gain signals from the pair gain system are routed by the adapter to the cross connect block, and wherein the outgoing service signals from the cross connect block are routed by the adapter to the protector module and then to the protector field.