Patent ID: 7174376

Claim:
A method for sharing a subnet of IP addresses among a plurality of network devices in an access network, the access network including a head end complex, a plurality of nodes, and a plurality of intermediate network devices; each of the plurality of nodes being configured or designed to communicate with at least one of the plurality of intermediate network devices via at least one upstream channel and at least one downstream channel; each of the plurality of intermediate network devices being configured or designed to communicate with the head end complex; each of the plurality of intermediate network devices being associated with a first IP subnet; each of the plurality of intermediate network devices having a unique IP address associated therewith, the method comprising: (a) receiving a first data parcel, the first data parcel including first source address information and first destination address information; (b) forwarding the first data parcel to the head end complex if at least the following conditions are satisfied: (i) the first data parcel corresponds to an IP packet; and (ii) the first destination address information does not match the first IP subnet; (c) forwarding the first data parcel to an appropriate port if at least the following conditions are satisfied: (i) the first data parcel corresponds to an IP packet; (ii) the first destination address information matches the first IP subnet; and (iii) a port binding associated with the destination address information is known; and (d) generating an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) request if at least the following conditions are satisfied: (i) the first data parcel corresponds to an IP packet; (ii) the first destination address information matches the first IP subnet; and (iii) a port binding associated with the destination address information is not known.