Patent ID: 7167511

Claim:
In a communications system having a modem pool for communicating via a communications channel, the modem pool comprising a plurality of native modems operating at steady state, a method for modem wake-up at steady-state comprising the steps of: a) measuring modem performance of any of said native modems; b) activating a foreign modem in said modem pool at substantially a maximum data rate and of said foreign modem at a power level that is below a normal operational power level of said foreign modem; c) allocating at least one near-end cross-talk (NEXT) cancellation filter as a probe filter; iteratively, until i) said foreign modem is operating at the foreign modem's normal operational power level, or ii) said modem performance of any of said native modems has degraded subsequent to activating said foreign modem: d1) canceling, using said probe filter, NEXT caused to at least one of said native modems by said foreign modem; d2) measuring said modem performance of any of said native modems; and d3) if said modem performance of any of said native modems has not degraded subsequent to activating said foreign modem, increasing said foreign modem's power level; and e) if said modem performance of any of said native modems has degraded subsequent to activating said foreign modem, deactivating said foreign modem.