Patent ID: 7627000

Claim:
An optical network system comprising: a first network element, the first network element having a stack associated with an OSI protocol and not an IP protocol, the first network element being arranged to send an optical signal compliant with said OSI protocol and including at least one DCC (Data Communication Channel), the DCC being arranged to contain information including a link access protocol on a D channel (LAPD) encapsulated message; a second network element, the second network element having a stack associated with the IP protocol and not the OSI protocol, the second network element being arranged to receive the optical signal compliant with the OSI protocol and including the at least one DCC, the second network element further being arranged to extract the information from the LAPD encapsulated message, to terminate the LAPD, and to send without the LAPD the extracted information using a point-to-point-over-Ethernet (PPoE) session and the IP protocol; and an external router, the external router being contained within a first portion of the network system, the external router being arranged to cooperate with the second network element to support a point-to-point-over-Ethernet session, the external router being arranged to receive the extracted information from the DCC and to forward the extracted information from the DCC through the first portion of the network system.